As we step into another chaos-filled weekend on one of the five majors in women’s golf, the defending champion’s quality of life is one of the most crucial to decode. After all, glory is just one of the upsides of a major win. It seems another, maybe even larger, benefit remains the often overlooked aspect of financial stability for golfers, and 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner Ruoning Yin would mostly agree.

Yin’s first major win has gotten her closer to home. But how? Well, the 21-year-old seems to have used her “nice little check” to treat herself a little. Yin’s new abode in Dallas is the most well-thought-out of these treats. After all, money does matter, and this young star knows where to put her money’s worth.

Even though she opines that nothing has changed and she is still herself, this young but skilled player candidly revealed how a spike in her bank account definitely helped. Talking about her experience after winning  $1.5 million in prize money at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield last year, the Chinese pro golfer said, “My banking account is looking good. I don’t really feel anything else changed? Well, my confidence definitely. But I think I’m still me.” Describing how she eventually awarded herself with a major treat, she said, “I did buy a House last week. No worries. No more pain. Just for travel wise, because it’s central and Dallas has direct flights to Shanghai. So it’s easy for me to go home.”

Yin also added how her success gave her a much-needed confidence boost and rid her of the pains and worries of traveling. However, in terms of her inner self, she remains the same person she earlier was, now just a tad bit closer to home. With that said, what is the prize money this year’s winner will get from the event’s success?

Has the prize money of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship increased this season?

The short answer to this is yes. Having elevated the total prize money for the 2024 season to a record-breaking $125 million, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has shot its purse up a total of $400,000 totaling up to $10.4 million that is up for grabs, rightly delivering on its goal of “development, advancement, and empowerment of women on and off the golf course.”

The winner’s payout this season is set to be $1.56 million, a $60,000 increase from what Ruoning Yin received last season. This check is set to be the third-highest first-place prize sum on the 2024 schedule. It is also the 6th LPGA Tour event to feature a winner’s share of more than $1 million, thus proving that player’s financial incentivisation is finally improving on the women’s end of the game.

While Ruoning Yin used her money to bridge the gap to her home, it remains to be seen how this season’s winner will put their money to work. Only time will tell.