The Memorial Tournament has long felt like a proper test just a couple of weeks before the U.S. Open as Muirfield Village is a stern problem for players to try and solve throughout the week. And while there can be plenty of lessons learned this week on the PGA Tour for what could transpire soon at Shinnecock, they're also playing for one of the biggest payouts on tour as the Memorial Tournament purse is a hefty one.
Of course, the prestige (and milkshakes) that come with winning at Muirfield Village shouldn't be overlooked either. And we saw the players tested mightily by immediate firm, fast conditions at the Memorial. It was J.T. Poston that seemed to separate himself, but it looked as if he might not be able to sustain it on Sunday, setting up a thrilling finish between him, Sam Burns, Ryan Gerard, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood and so on. All of them, of course, were hoping to take home a trophy, but let's not forget about the prize money they're chasing as well.
The Memorial Tournament winner's prize money, total purse for 2026
The winner of the 2026 Memorial Tournament will receive $4 million in prize money this week at Muirfield Village, one of the richer payouts for professional golf. While the total purse is still the standard $20 million for signature events on the PGA Tour, the field size and 36-hole cut we see at Jack's place allows for a massive winner's share — and frankly, just as big of payouts throughout the field and rest of the leaderboard.
The Memorial payout distribution by finishing position
Finishing Position | Memorial Tournament Prize Money |
|---|---|
Winner | $4 million |
2nd | $2.2 million |
3rd | $1.4 million |
4th | $1 million |
5th | $840,000 |
6th | $760,000 |
7th | $700,000 |
8th | $646,000 |
9th | $600,000 |
10th | $556,000 |
11th | $514,000 |
12th | $472,000 |
13th | $430,000 |
14th | $389,000 |
15th | $369,000 |
16th | $349,000 |
17th | $329,000 |
18th | $309,000 |
19th | $289,000 |
20th | $269,000 |
21st | $250,000 |
22nd | $233,000 |
23rd | $216,000 |
24th | $200,000 |
25th | $184,000 |
26th | $168,000 |
27th | $161,000 |
28th | $154,000 |
29th | $147,000 |
30th | $140,000 |
31st | $133,000 |
32nd | $126,000 |
33rd | $119,000 |
34th | $114,000 |
35th | $109,000 |
36th | $104,000 |
37th | $99,000 |
38th | $94,000 |
39th | $90,000 |
40th | $86,000 |
41st | $82,000 |
42nd | $78,000 |
43rd | $74,000 |
44th | $70,000 |
45th | $66,000 |
46th | $62,000 |
47th | $58,000 |
48th | $56,000 |
49th | $54,000 |
50th | $52,000 |
51st | $51,000 |
52nd | $50,000 |
53rd | $49,000 |
The prize money at the Memorial Tournament is flat-out ridiculous. You're talking about the top four players on the leaderboard receiving $1 million or more, the Top 36 (out of just 53 players who made the cut, it should be said) will all receive at least $100,000 in prize money before you talk about ties and split payouts, and we're even at the point where all but one player who made the cut this week at Muirfield Village will get at least $50,000 for the week.
The payouts and prize money at signature events is always massive, but the Memorial may well take the cake with all of the machinations at work. With only the Top 50 and ties making the cut in a field that's already limited in size, the payouts skyrocket in a big way this week. But once again, you have to earn every cent of that in a week like this with the course really showing its teeth.
Memorial Tournament purse and winners in the last 5 years
Year | Winner | Winner's Prize Money | Total Purse |
|---|---|---|---|
2025 Memorial | Scottie Scheffler | $4 million | $20 million |
2024 Memorial | Scottie Scheffler | $4 million | $20 million |
2023 Memorial | Viktor Hovland | $3.6 million | $20 million |
2022 Memorial | Billy Horschel | $2.16 million | $12 million |
2021 Memorial | Patrick Cantlay | $1.674 million | $9.3 million |
The 2026 Memorial Tournament is the fourth consecutive year that the total purse is at $20 million. However, the structure of the payouts from that purse has changed over that span. When the purse moved to $20 million, it was still the Top 65 and ties who made the cut to play the weekend and receive prize money, which is why Viktor Hovland only received $3.6 million as the winner.
Meanwhile, the evolving signature event model on the PGA Tour led to Scottie Scheffler receiving $4 million for each of his back-to-back wins at Muirfield Village because the tour reduced the field size and still had a cut, but one that eliminated all but the Top 50 and ties in the field. That then leads to a bigger winner's prize and larger payouts throughout the field as well.
Even still, it's kind of incredible to think that the purse has more than doubled over the last five years, the same of which is true about the winner's prize money.
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