The Masters has come and gone and the calendar has flipped to May, which means it's time for golf's second major of the year, the PGA Championship. All eyes will be on Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, where, for just the second time overall and first time since 2017, the PGA Championship will be played. The tournament begins on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Not only is the PGA Championship a chance for golfers to add a major to their career collection, it's also an opportunity to win a hefty amount of prize money. In 2024, the total prize purse for the PGA Championship was $18,500,000, and winner Xander Schauffele took home $3,330,000.
But the winning golfer at Quail Hollow will earn the tournament champion more than just prize money.
Here's a breakdown of everything the PGA Championship winner receives, including the magnificent Wanamaker Trophy, a big boost in FedExCup points and much more.
What does the PGA Championship winner get besides prize money?
Wanamaker Trophy
Bearing the namesake of Lewis Rodman Wanamaker, who helped establish the PGA of America in 1916, the Wanamaker Trophy is one of the largest trophies in all of professional sports. Standing 28 inches high and weighing in at 27 pounds, the Wanamaker Trophy is also the largest trophy on the PGA Tour. From 1916, the year of the first-ever PGA Championship, to 1925, the winner got to keep the trophy. But starting in 1926, a replica, which is about 10% smaller than the original version, was awarded to the winner. Today's players can thank five-time PGA Championship winner Walter Hagen for that, for it was Hagen who admitted at the 1928 tournament that he had lost the trophy while celebrating his victory.
Today's winners get to keep the original Wanamaker Trophy, upon which the winner's name is engraved, for a year. They get to keep the replica for a lifetime.
Official World Golf Rankings Points
Similar to the other three major tournaments on the tour, the winner of the PGA Championship typically receives 100 Official World Golf Rankings points. For a snapshot of how impactful this is, consider that all but one golfer (Jordan Spieth) in the top-50 of the OWGR has accumulated at least 100 points total for the season thus far. This means that for many, a win at Quail Hollow would, at the very least, ensure a top-50 ranking worldwide.
FedExCup Points
Each year, the PGA Championship winner banks 750 FedExCup points, similar to the other three majors and the Players Championship. The FedExCup is a season-long points competition that offers $100 million in prize pool money and $25 million to the champion of the FedExCup Playoffs, which begin in August. Compared to the 500 FedExCup points awarded for all regular season PGA Tour events, as well as the 700 points awarded for signature events, the 750 points awarded to the PGA Championship winner are quite the boon. It all but guarantees a top-50 finish in the FedExCup standings, where the top-70 golfers qualify for the playoffs.
Lifetime Exemption to PGA Championship
The winner of the PGA Championship receives a lifetime exemption to the major tournament. He is allowed to return as a prior champion for the remainder of his career. The Masters is the only other event that offers a lifetime exemption to past champions.
Invite to the Annual PGA Championship Champions' Dinner
Much like the Masters Champions Dinner at Augusta National Golf Club, the PGA Champions Dinner brings the tournament's winners together each year in a tradition dating back to 1965. Unlike the Masters Champions Dinner, in which the prior year's champion picks up the tab for the meal, the PGA of America foots the bill for the dinner. In prior years, spouses and family members of past winners were allowed to attend the PGA Champions Dinner. But in 2025, the dinner at Quail Hollow, served in honor of Schauffele, will be limited to champions only.
Exemptions Into Major Tournaments
If victorious at the PGA Championship, the winning golfer receives five-year exemptions into the other three major tournaments.
Other Tournament Exemptions
In addition to five-year exemptions at each of the other three majors, the PGA Championship winner lands a spot in the Players Championship for the next five years. The winner also earns a spot in the PGA Tour's calendar-opening event called 'The Sentry', or the Tournament of Champions, which is played in Hawaii, as well as a spot in the following season's Signature Events. Thanks to the next item on this list, the winner is also invited to most of the other PGA Tour and DP World Tour events.
Tour Membership Cards
In the event that it's needed, the PGA hands out a five-year membership card to the PGA Tour, as well as a seven-year membership card to the DP World Tour, to the winner of the PGA Championship.
Ryder Cup Points Boost for American-Born Winners
American-born winners receive 1.5 points for every $1,000 earned in the PGA Championship. These points are earned towards a berth on the United States' team in the Ryder Cup, a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The top six players following the BMW Championship on August 17, 2025 will make the U.S. team for the 45th Ryder Cup.
So, as you can see, the prize money is nice. But it's far from the only thing the winner of the PGA Championship takes home.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Here's Everything the PGA Championship Winner Gets Besides Prize Money.