16.1 Billion Won 'War of Money'... "Who Will Be the Final Winner?"

Final Showdown: CME Group Tour Championship Begins This Year
Total Purse of $11 Million, Winner Takes Home $4 Million
Winner Could Overtake for Season Money Title
Koreans Hyojoo Kim, Hyejin Choi, Seyoung Kim, and Arim Kim in the Field

It is a 16.1 billion won "war of money."

The 2025 season of the LPGA Tour has only one tournament remaining. From November 20 (local time), the final event of the year, the CME Group Tour Championship, will be held over four days at the Tibur?n Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida (par 72, 6,590 yards). An enormous prize purse is at stake. The total prize money is 11 million dollars (approximately 16.1 billion won), with the winner's share reaching a staggering 4 million dollars (about 5.87 billion won).

The player who wins this tournament could instantly become the season's money leader. Currently, Minjee Lee (Australia) tops the LPGA Tour money list, having earned 3,822,388 dollars (about 5.6 billion won).

Hyojoo Kim (left) and Hyejin Choi are challenging for the victory at the CME Group Tour Championship, the final event of the LPGA Tour. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Not just anyone can compete in the CME Group Tour Championship. Only those ranked within the top 60 of the CME points standings qualify. Exactly 60 players will compete, and the winner will be determined through 72 holes of stroke play over four days. All the top contenders will be there, including defending champion and world No. 1 Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand), No. 2 Nelly Korda (USA), No. 3 Miyu Yamashita (Japan), No. 4 Minjee Lee (Australia), and No. 5 Lydia Ko (New Zealand).

A total of nine Korean players will participate. This includes Hyojoo Kim (Ford Championship), Kim Seyoung (BMW Ladies Championship), Kim Arim (Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions), and Yoo Haeran (Black Desert Classic), all of whom have won this year, as well as Lee Somin and Lim Jinhui (winners of the Dow Championship as a duo). In addition, Choi Hyejin, Ko Jin-young, and Lee Mihyang will also compete. Korea has claimed victory in this tournament four times: Kim Seyoung (2019), Ko Jin-young (2020-2021), and Yang Heeyoung (2023) have all won the title.