LIV Golf prize money: How the Saudi-backed upstart golf tournament compares to majors and the PGA Tour

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The LIV Golf draft in London

The Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitation Series tees off at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire on Thursday after a controversial and turbulent build-up.

Criticism from golf fans, officials on the established PGA and European Tours and human rights activists have not prevented the likes of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson from signing up for the upstart event, which is being fronted by two-time major winner Greg Norman.

Johnson and Na this week resigned from the PGA Tour and, for all Graeme McDowell's talk of wanting to help golf "grow around the world and be role models to kids" at a frequently cringe-inducing media briefing on Tuesday, there can be little doubt that eye-watering financial rewards are the main motivation for those joining the breakaway.

Phil Mickelson reportedly inked a deal worth $200 million to spurn his PGA Tour commitment and Norman told the Washington Post that Tiger Woods turned down a LIV Golf offer that was “mind-blowingly enormous; we’re talking about high nine digits.”

Of course, those numbers aren't on offer for just anyone, but here's what the participants stand to make from hitching their wagons to the divisive championship.

MORE: What does LIV Golf Tour stand for? Explaining the name, meaning of the Saudi-backed invitational series

LIV Golf Series tournament purses 2022

The total purse for each LIV Golf Invitational Series tournament is $25 million (£20 million). Of that $25 million, $5 million will be awarded to teams while $20 million will go to the individual players.

The Team Championship, which will take place during the eighth and final series event of the season, will dish out an additional $50 million.

For comparison, the Masters and PGA Championship, two crown jewels of the the PGA calendar, had purses of $15 million apiece in 2022.

How much money does the winner get?

The winner of each LIV Golf tournament is expected to take home $4 million — 16% of the total purse. Second place will pay out $2.125 million, while the third-place golfer will bring in $1.5 million.

Each player will receive a cut of the purse, with even the golfer coming in last (there are no cuts in LIV Golf's 54-hole concept) pocketing $120,000.

LIV Golf tournament payouts 2022

Below are the projected payouts for each 48-player tournament in the LIV Golf Invitational Series:

Place Projected payout
1 $4,000,000 (£3,194,015)
2 $2,125,000 (£1,700,924)
3 $1,500,000 (£1,187,632)
4 $1,050,000 (£838,342)
5 $975,000 (£778,461)
6 $800,000 (£638,804)
7 $675,000 (£538,990)
8 $625,000 (£499,046)
9 $580,000 (£463,115)
10 $560,000 (£447,145)
11 $540,000 (£431,200)
12 $450,000 (£359,333)
13 $360,000 (£287,488)
14 $270,000 (£215,616)
15 $250,000 (£199,663)
16 $240,000 (£191,676)
17 $232,000 (£185,287)
18 $226,000 (£180,495)
19 $220,000 (£175,703)
20 $200,000 (£158,723)
21 $180,000 (£143,742)
22 $172,000 (£137,354)
23 $170,000 (£135,785)
24 $168,000 (£134,187)
25 $166,000 (£132,580)
26 $164,000 (£130,958)
27 $162,000 (£129,361)
28 $160,000 (£127,764)
29 $158,000 (£126,163)
30 $156,000 (£124,580)
31 $154,000 (£122,983)
32 $152,000 (£121,360)
33 $150,000 (£119,763)
34 $148,000 (£118,166)
35 $146,000 (£116,570)
36 $144,000 (£114,978)
37 $142,000 (£113,381)
38 $140,000 (£111,784)
39 $138,000 (£110,187)
40 $136,000 (£108,624)
41 $134,000 (£107,026)
42 $132,000 (£105,429)
43 $130,000 (£103,850)
44 $128,000 (£102,252)
45 $126,000 (£100,654)
46 $124,000 (£99,071)
47 $122,000 (£97,473)
48 $120,000 (£95,875)

*Currency conversions via xe.com

Any ties in the standings will mean an even split among tied golfers. For example, if two players tie for second place, the second and third-place prizes will be combined and then split evenly between them.

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