KLPGA Total Prize Money Only 60% of KPGA... "Women's Golf Is Doing Too Well"

Comparison of PGA Prize Money Scale to 5 Times That of LPGA

Lee So-young, who won the Daeyu Winia MBN Women's Open of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA).

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] The total prize money for the KPGA Korean Tour Woosung Comprehensive Construction Open, which ended on the 14th, was 700 million KRW. On the other hand, the total prize money for the KLPGA Daewoo Winia MBN Open, whose final round was held on the same day, was 900 million KRW, 200 million KRW more. Considering that the Woosung Comprehensive Construction Open was played over 4 rounds while the Daewoo Winia MBN Open was a 3-round event, the perceived prize money gap is even larger.

This phenomenon is not limited to last weekend's games. According to KPGA, KLPGA, and others on the 16th, the KLPGA regular tour, which has passed the halfway point this season, consists of 34 tournaments with a total prize money of 32.2 billion KRW. The average prize money per tournament is 947 million KRW. Meanwhile, the total prize money for KPGA is only 19.2 billion KRW, about 60% of the KLPGA's amount. The number of tournaments is also 22, far fewer than the KLPGA. Even when considering average prize money, KPGA's 872 million KRW is 75 million KRW less.

This contrasts with most professional sports where men's tournaments overwhelmingly have larger prize pools than women's tournaments. In fact, the total prize money for the 2021/2022 PGA Tour in the United States is known to be about 482.6 million USD (approximately 630 billion KRW). The average prize money for 47 tournaments is about 10 million USD (approximately 1.3 billion KRW). Meanwhile, the total prize money planned for 34 tournaments in the same season's LPGA Tour is about 90.2 million USD (approximately 11.7 billion KRW). The average prize money per tournament is only about 2.65 million USD (approximately 345 million KRW), far below the PGA Tour average.

Shin Yong-gu, who won the Woosung General Construction Open on the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour held on the 14th.

The scale of prize money also creates a gender gap in individual players' earnings. As of the 12th, the total prize money received by the top 20 players in the 2022 KLPGA prize money rankings reached 7.481 billion KRW. In contrast, the total prize money received by the top 20 players in the 2022 KPGA prize money rankings was 5.666 billion KRW, nearly a 2 billion KRW difference.

Why does this phenomenon occur uniquely in Korean professional golf? Experts agree that it is due to differences in public interest in tournaments and players.

According to industry sources, although specific figures cannot be disclosed, KPGA tournaments reportedly have significantly lower viewership ratings compared to KLPGA tournaments. A representative from a sports management company explained, "In sports, the scale of sponsorship is proportional to the recognition and interest in players and tournaments," adding, "This directly affects profitability." In fact, Korean female professional golfers have consistently produced world top-ranked players since Park Seri, sharing the global women's golf scene with the United States, so sponsors reportedly enjoy not only domestic but also global marketing effects.

However, there is also hope that the underappreciation of men's golf will improve as domestic male players have recently achieved remarkable results on the American stage. This year alone, Lee Kyung-hoon won the PGA AT&T Byron Nelson, followed by Kim Joo-hyung winning the Wyndham Championship, the last event of the regular season, showing prominence on the global stage. The fact that four players?Kim Joo-hyung, Im Sung-jae, Kim Si-woo, and Lee Kyung-hoon?qualified for the second round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which only the top 70 players can enter, also reflects the growth of Korean men's golf.

An industry insider said, "While men's golf has traditionally faced higher barriers on the world stage compared to women's golf, recent changes are emerging," and expressed expectations that "with increasing public interest, the value of men's golf tournaments will also rise."