The Race to the CME Globe will go under some drastic changes starting next year, including a bigger payday for the winner of the season-ending tournament.
LPGA Tour and CME tournament officials announced on Tuesday that the CME Group Tour Championship’s purse in 2019 will double to $5 million, with the winner receiving $1.5 million — the largest first-place share in women’s golf history.
“CME Group has made a huge impact on the LPGA Tour during our nine years together, and today’s news is an absolute game-changer for the LPGA and its members,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “With the Race to the CME Globe, we already had a grand finish to the LPGA Tour season. With these changes, it’s now bigger money, smaller field, and ANY player in the Tour Championship can win – game on!”
The winner’s check will dwarf the current largest payday, which is $900,000 awarded by the USGA for the U.S. Women’s Open.
The season-long points race (Race to the CME Globe), meanwhile, will end before the final tournament as it will be used only to fill out the top 60 players for the event finale. Essentially the bonus money will be pushed to the tournament with a winner take all, while also providing more clarity during the event.