Last week’s third women’s Major of the year, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, offered record prize money of $10.4m, but it’s back to the regular LPGA Tour schedule this week with the Dow Championship at Midland Country Club in Michigan.
As a result, participants are competing for a considerably more modest sum, although this week’s figure is still a record for the unique team event which began five years ago as the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.
When it launched, the tournament’s overall purse was $2m before rising in subsequent years to $2.3m and $2,5m, with last year’s edition seeing it increased once again to $2.7m.
However, for the first time it will offer $3m this year - one of the highest prize funds on the LPGA Tour schedule and equal to events including the Mizuho Americas Open and Meijer LPGA Classic.
The format is similar to the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where teams of two compete over sessions of foursomes in the first and third rounds and fourball in the second and fourth rounds.
In 2023, US pair Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol (aka the Elizabethan Knights) won by one over Kelly Tan and Matilda Castren to claim $328,115 each in prize money, but there is a significant bump this year with the winning team set to bank $366,082 apiece.
As well as the monetary rewards, there are also world ranking points up for grabs as well as 400 Race to the CME Globe points available to the winners.
Below is the prize money payout for the Dow Championship.
Dow Championship Prize Money Payout
| Position | Team Prize | Individual Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | $732,165 | $366,082 |
| 2nd | $363,035 | $181,517 |
| 3rd | $231,726 | $115,863 |
| 4th | $163,754 | $81,877 |
| 5th | $131,312 | $65,656 |
| 6th | $111,998 | $55,999 |
| 7th | $98,250 | $49,125 |
| 8th | $87,127 | $43,563 |
| 9th | $78,478 | $39,239 |
| 10th | $72,298 | $36,149 |
| 11th | $67,355 | $33,678 |
| 12th | $62,412 | $31,206 |
| 13th | $57,933 | $28,966 |
| 14th | $53,604 | $26,802 |
| 15th | $49,435 | $24,717 |
| 16th | $45,726 | $22,863 |
| 17th | $42,018 | $21,009 |
| 18th | $38,776 | $19,388 |
| 19th | $35,687 | $17,843 |
| 20th | $32,749 | $16,374 |
| 21st | $30,281 | $15,140 |
| 22nd | $27,806 | $13,903 |
| 23rd | $25,798 | $12,899 |
| 24th | $23,944 | $11,972 |
| 25th | $22,089 | $11,045 |
| 26th | $20,702 | $10,351 |
| 27th | $19,465 | $9,732 |
| 28th | $18,227 | $9,114 |
| 29th | $16,993 | $ 8,497 |
| 30th | $15,759 | $7,879 |
| 31st | $14,985 | $7,493 |
| 32nd | $14,368 | $7,184 |
| 33rd | $13,748 | $6,874 |
Who Are The Star Names In The Dow Championship?
Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson are one of 72 teams for the Dow Championship
Overall, 72 teams of two are competing at the event, which features 22 Major winners.
Teams to watch include two-time Major winner Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson, who will be retiring from the professional game at the end of the season. Amundi Evian Champion Celine Boutier plays too, alongside US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso, following the pair’s finish of third at the 2023 edition.
Elsewhere, former World No.1 Lydia Ko teams up with Major winner Danielle Kang, while Rose Zhang plays alongside Alex Pano. Other notable teams include Charley Hull joining forces with Georgia Hall and Ruoning Yin partnering with Atthaya Thitikul.
Former winners include 2021 champions, sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn along with 2023 winners Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol.
What Is The Prize Money Payout For The Dow Championship?
There is a record purse of $3m for the unique team tournament, an increase of $300,000 on the 2023 edition. The winning pair will receive $366,082 each, while the runners-up will each bank $181,517.
What Is The Format For The Dow Championship?
The format is similar to the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. A total of 72 teams of two compete over sessions of foursomes in the first and third rounds and fourball in the second and fourth rounds.
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