In a list of LPGA’s highest-earning pros for this year, four of them have earned a total of more than USD$1 million. In descending order, these are:

Nelly Korda – USD$1,856,649
Yuka Saso – USD$1,160,376
Lydia Ko – USD$1,073,133
Patty Tavatanakit – USD$1,009,172

Coincidentally, Korda and Ko won gold and bronze respectively at the women’s individual stroke play at the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics. Korda is expected to cash in around USD$37,500 from the U.S. for the gold medal finish. On the other hand, Ko won’t get any, as New Zealand doesn’t have such a program for its medalists. (2)

A million dollars may sound like a lot of money (because it really is). But you’ll be surprised at how much money LPGA pros can really earn if they’re serious about golf.

1. A Drop in the Bucket

Korda’s earnings may be at the top of the LPGA list, but it’s only a drop in the bucket compared to the top earners career-wise. With career earnings just shy of USD$6 million from playing in less than a hundred events, she’s only in 65th place. Her older sister Jessica, who finished 15th in the Olympics, is 20 ranks up with over USD$6.4 million from playing in over 200 events. (3)

If the sisters combine their earnings, it would be comparable to Se Ri Pak, one of the top ten earners with a total of almost USD$12.6 million. Pak played in 365 events before retiring in 2016, a third of which resulting in her ranking in the top ten. (3)

2. Record To Be Broken Soon

As of this writing, Annika Sorenstam holds the title of the highest-earning female golfer career-wise at USD$22,577,025. Don’t let those eight-digit figures be the only thing convincing you. She’s a big name in women’s golf for reasons to be tackled later (3).

However, it won’t be long before that record’s broken. Karrie Webb is just shy of over USD$2 million, but she’s still playing on the greens. Given that the LPGA purse has increased drastically by over 90% since 2013, gaining the title of top career earner is easier than ever. (3)

Another pro bound to break the record soon is Cristie Kerr, whose earnings are around USD$170,000 fewer than Webb’s. Her ambidextrous playstyle (naturally a leftie but plays with her right hand) will help in giving her the edge in future tours. (3)

3. Four of the Top Ten are U.S. Pros

The ten highest-earning career earners collectively earn USD$162.8 million. Of them, four pros are based in the U.S., such as:

Cristie Kerr – 3rd at USD$20,107,437 from 572 events
Juli Inkster – 7th at USD$14,038,081 from 715 events
Stacy Lewis – 8th at USD$13,699,317 from 297 events
Paula Creamer – 10th at USD$12,134,840 from 339 events

Two represent South Korea: Inbee Park at 4th with USD$17,672,084 from 286 events and Se Ri Pak at 9th with USD$12,583,713 from 365 events. The rest of the list include Annika Sorenstam (Sweden), Karrie Webb (Australia), Lorena Ochoa (Mexico), and Suzann Pettersen (Norway). Four of the top ten have long retired from golf. (3)

4. The Only Female in An All-Male Net Worth List

It’s no surprise that male golfers earn a lot more than female ones, as men’s tours tend to attract more sponsors and a larger audience. Of course, things are slowly getting better with the recent increase in women’s tours’ purses, but it’ll take time before the prize is equal to men’s tours.

That never stopped Sorenstam from becoming the wealthiest female golfer so far. With an estimated net worth of USD$40 million, she’s the only woman on the list of the 50 richest golfers. Even after her official retirement in 2008, she remains a big name in golf for securing more victories, including ten major wins, than any female pro so far. (4)(5)

In fact, she came out of retirement last year to participate in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and win the event. That’s 12 years of playing little to no golf.

Conclusion

The younger generation of female pros is poised to make a fortune thanks to a growing purse. If you plan on going pro yourself, keep in mind that it won’t be easy. You’ll have to train hard, whether on the greens or at home, to join the ranks of the world’s best.

Nevertheless, the millions in earnings show the stakes that come with a single round of the sport. Only the next several years can tell who the world’s top earner will be.

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