Find out how much money PGA champion Aaron’s Rai and other players earned at golf’s second major of the season.

The 2026 PGA Championship delivered not only major drama at Aronimink Golf Club, but also the biggest prize fund in tournament history. With a record-breaking $20.5 million purse on the line, players battled for enormous paydays throughout the week, and it was England’s Aaron Rai who emerged with the Wanamaker Trophy and a life-changing winner’s cheque.

Rai produced a sensational final-round 65 to finish at nine-under-par and secure his maiden major championship victory by three shots. His triumph earned him a staggering $3.69 million, the largest payout ever awarded at the PGA Championship. 

The total purse increased by $1.5 million from the previous year, highlighting golf’s continued surge in prize money across the major championships. The PGA Championship has now officially joined the sport’s elite “$20 million club,” sitting alongside the Masters and U.S. Open as one of golf’s richest events. 

Behind Rai, Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley shared second place and each walked away with more than $1.8 million after impressive weeks at Aronimink. Justin Thomas, Ludvig Åberg and Matti Schmid tied for fourth and each earned over $843,000. 

Further down the leaderboard, major champions still collected significant paydays. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Cameron Smith finished tied for seventh and each pocketed $637,050. Patrick Reed, Justin Rose and Kurt Kitayama were among those tied for 10th, earning nearly $500,000 apiece. 

Even players who missed the cut did not leave empty-handed, with the PGA of America awarding $4,300 stipends to all golfers who failed to make the weekend rounds. Meanwhile, every player who survived the cut was guaranteed at least $23,900. 

Rai’s victory was historic in more ways than one. The 31-year-old became the first Englishman in more than a century to win the PGA Championship, capping off a remarkable rise that has seen him establish himself among golf’s elite. Alongside the massive financial reward, Rai also secured lifetime exemptions into the PGA Championship and multi-year exemptions into the other major tournaments.