‘Wrong on Many Levels’: PGA Tour’s 3,600,000 Revelation Belittling the Masters Leaves Golf World Furious

The PGA Tour returns to action at the RBC Heritage this week. However, this year’s edition won’t be a regular one. After all, the total purse hiked to a whopping $20 million is bound to make a splash. Despite the event being scheduled immediately after the Masters Tournament, seventeen of the top 20 players on the OWGR standings make their way to the field. And for good reason, since the RBC Heritage will award more prize money than the illustrious major championship itself.

Winning RBC Heritage more lucrative than Masters?

The RBC Heritage tournament has a long history on the PGA Tour calendar. Debuting in the year 1969, the event has seen its fair share of title sponsors across more than fifty years.

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But its shift in prize money has been unprecedented. New rules ahead of the 2023 season placed the RBC Heritage in the ‘elevated tournaments’ section. It has meant a huge bump in the event’s prize money.

While Jordan Spieth, winner of the 2022 edition of the event, took home $1.44 million from the $8 million prize pool, this year’s winner will be awarded an enormous $3.6 million. Interestingly, the figure is more than what Masters winner Jon Rahm won for his maiden Green Jacket, which stands at $3.24 million.

Does RBC Heritage warrant a bigger purse than the Masters Tournament?

The disparity in prize money evidently left the golf community confused. But why does one of the most prestigious golf events on the calendar pay less than the RBC Heritage?

As it stands, the four major championships are conducted by independent organizations. One of them includes the privately-owned Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the prestigious Masters Tournament.

The iconic event captures the imagination of golfers and fans alike every year, which provides less incentive for the organizers to hike the competition’s prize money. On the other hand, the RBC Heritage is hosted by the PGA Tour, which is amidst a makeover in its purse structure. There have been increasing changes in the prize money, spearheaded by Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, which has resulted in huge purses.

However, fans were left confused after the figures were revealed to the public. Many were critical of the pay gap, which they felt undermined the Masters Tournament. Here’s a selection of those tweets.

This user stated the obvious. Hinting at how the news has taken many by surprise, they made a fair assumption about the TV ratings are going to witness a sudden surge this time.

This golf fan felt that the whopping rise in the prize money at the RBC Heritage could be a power move to touch the four-million dollar mark.

With a sarcastic turn of phrase, this user gave a round-off figure “to not have to wear the tartan jacket.”

Displaying strong sentiments, this user took offense at how such an upsurge in prize money can undermine the Masters.

This golf fan believed that any golfer would still prefer winning the Masters over RBC Heritage.

Taking a dig at the tartan red plaid jacket, this user too sarcastically made silly parallels to a “biscuit tin.”

What are your reactions to the Masters Tournament having lower prize money than the RBC Heritage? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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