Andy DevaneyLet’s call it what it is: the AIG Women’s Open has officially traded in its lunchbox for a leather briefcase. This week at Royal Porthcawl, the Championship will offer a record-setting $9.75 million purse—enough to make even the most stoic tour pro drop her yardage book and raise an eyebrow.
That’s a $250,000 jump from last year and nearly triple the purse of 2019, the year AIG and The R&A teamed up like two investment bankers with a vision for equality.
The winner? She’ll waltz off with $1,462,500, the biggest cheque in the event’s 49-year history—just shy of the price of a modest London flat or a private jet’s nose cone.
Let’s Look at the Scorecard on Prize Growth
In 2018, before AIG joined the tee party, the purse sat at a paltry $3.25 million. By 2019, it nudged up to $4.5 million.
Enter AIG—and the numbers took off like a Bryson drive. By 2021 we were at $5.8 million, then $7.3 million in 2022, $9 million in 2023, $9.5 million in 2024 and now, $9.75 million in 2025.
The AIG Women’s Open has grown faster than a rumour on the PGA Tour WhatsApp group.
And it’s not just show money for the winner. The deeper payout structure now rewards those who make the cut with more than just a handshake and a commemorative towel. It’s real investment in the game, and the women playing it.
📈 AIG Women’s Open Prize Fund Growth
| Year | Prize Fund | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $9.75 million | Record high |
| 2024 | $9.5 million | — |
| 2023 | $9 million | — |
| 2022 | $7.3 million | — |
| 2021 | $5.8 million | — |
| 2020 | $4.5 million | Start of AIG & R&A partnership |
| 2019 | $4.5 million | — |
| 2018 | $3.25 million | Pre-AIG partnership |
What’s the Bottom Line?
This year’s AIG Women’s Open isn’t just another major—it’s a milestone. With a record $9.75 million purse, a winner’s cheque that would make most CEOs blush, and a staging at the wild and windy Royal Porthcawl, it’s clear the event isn’t coasting—it’s charging.
The R&A and AIG haven’t just moved the tee boxes—they’ve widened the whole fairway. The money is flowing, the commitment is real, and the world’s best are getting paid like they play.
If the current trajectory continues, by the time Royal St George’s hosts in 2027, we could be staring down a purse north of $11 million—and a winner’s cheque big enough to make a hedge fund manager sweat.
As sponsors and governing bodies continue to invest in the women’s game, the AIG Women’s Open stands as proof: when given the stage and the purse, these athletes deliver drama, grit, and world-class golf.
And that, folks, is worth every penny.
