AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy will pocket $4.5 million from an increased purse of $22.5 million if he can hold his record six-shot lead over the final 36 holes of the 90th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
The tournament announced Saturday that the total prize money for this year’s Masters has been increased by $1.5 million from last year, when McIlroy won $4.2 million while earning his first green jacket and completing the career Grand Slam.
The runner-up will receive $2.43 million, third place gets $1.53 million, and fourth place collects $1.08 million.
The Masters purse has more than doubled over the past 10 years. It was $10 million in 2016 when England’s Danny Willett was a surprising winner and received $1.8 million.
The top 39 finishers this year will receive at least $101,250. The 50th-place finisher gets $56,700. Golfers who missed the 36-hole cut will collect $25,000.
After carding six birdies over his final seven holes of the second round for a 7-under 65, McIlroy tees off Saturday with a six-stroke lead over Sam Burns and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed. It is the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history.
McIlroy, 36, is already No. 2 in career earnings on the PGA Tour with more than $110 million. Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods won more than $120 million during his storied career, which included 82 PGA Tour victories.
The Players Championship has the highest purse in men’s professional golf at $25 million, with Cameron Young earning $4.5 million for winning at TPC Sawgrass last month.
