With the HGV Tournaments of Champions on Thursday, the LPGA Tour season got underway in earnest. The prior seasons are not like this one. It will feature 35 events this year, including 33 official tournaments spread across ten nations and a record-breaking $118 million in total purse, of which $116.55 million will come from official funds.
The Tour’s overall prize pool in 2024 is expected to reach a record high of almost $70 million, up 69% from the previous year. The schedule has undergone some significant adjustments to make the season more thrilling and competitive for both players and spectators. Here are a few noteworthy modifications:
1. There are two new tournaments with large purses.
In 2024, the LPGA Tour will welcome two new players, each with significant goals that represent the rising prestige and appeal of women’s golf. The first one is the Arizona Championship, which JTBC is presenting. It will happen at the Seville Golf and Country Club on March 28–31.
The second new event is the FM Global Championship, which takes place at the TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts from August 29 to September 1. With a purse of $3.5 million, the event will rank among the highest-paying tours in the itinerary.
2. 16 tournaments with purses of $3 million or more
With the help of its sponsors and partners, the LPGA Tour has seen a notable increase in its purse throughout the years. The number of tour participants with purses of at least $3 million will increase from 8 in 2023 to 16 in 2024. This indicates that over 40% of the scheduled events will present a prize money of $3 million or more. The players will have more chances to practice and compete for the top slots on the money list and the world rankings.
3. Seri Pak was added to the LPGA event’s host lineup.
Seri Pak will become a tour host in 2024, following in the footsteps of Annika Strenstam and Michelle Williams. Formerly called the DIO Implant LA Open, which Ruoning Yin won the previous year, the event she will host is now called the First Hills Seri Pak Championship in her honor. The tournament, which features 144 players vying for a $2 million purse, will be held at the Palos Verdes Golf Club on the outskirts of Los Angeles from March 21 to 24.
4. An unforeseen shift
Unexpected changes are also in store for the LPGA Tour in 2024. The Dow Great Lakes Invitational, a tournament that made its debut in 2019, will now be known as the Dow Championship. The prize money for the tournament has been grown to $3 million from $2.7 million in 2023, reflecting the tournament’s evolution.
“Dow founded this LPGA Tour event with the vision of building community and accelerating the growth and awareness of everything the Great Lakes Bay Region has to offer,” stated Carlos Padilla II, executive director of the Dow Championship.
