The Perks Rory McIlroy Gets For Winning The Players Championship

The Players Championship has long been considered the unofficial ‘fifth Major Championship’ in the men’s game.

Many of the game’s best-ever players have won this prestigious event, including the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, Raymond Floyd, Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus. Claim this trophy and your name will appear alongside some true greats of the game.

Of course, winning a tournament of this stature also has a number of other perks including prize money, Major exemptions, world ranking points and much more.

Here’s what awaits Rory McIlroy after winning his second Players Championship in 2025...

1. Prize Money

The Players Championship purse stands at an eye-watering $25 million - the largest for a single golf tournament.

Rory McIlroy wins a whopping $4.5 million, which is his biggest ever tournament win outside of any FedEx Cup bonuses.

That number is larger than the first prize in all four men's Majors last year as well as all eight PGA Tour Signature Events.

2. The Trophy

Of course, it’s the trophy that really matters – and it must be said, the current Players Championship trophy is a real beauty...and Rory McIlroy now has two of them.

Crafted by Tiffany & Co. since 2019, the sterling silver and 24k gold vermeil Players Championship trophy stands 17 inches tall and weighs approximately eight pounds.

The golfer pictured is standing on the island-green 17th and is a mix of the 38 different winners of The Players at the time of design from Jack Nicklaus in 1974 to Webb Simpson in 2018. It was made using a process of 'electroforming' and 3D-printing.

It inspired the infamous 'gold man' animated clips that were a hit on social media, with the gold trophy brought to life and seen hitting various famous shots at TPC Sawgrass.

3. FedExCup Points

Rory McIlroy receives 750 FedExCup points, which has put him up to the no.1 position.

750 is the same number of points players receive for winning a Major Championship.

Prior to entering the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August, PGA Tour events carry between 300 and 750 FedExCup points. In other words, other than the Playoff events, no tournament offers more than 750 points.

4. World ranking points

The Players Championship features a super-strong field and with that comes huge world ranking points.

McIlroy earns a whopping 80 OWGR points, which is the second-highest number you can win. While he stays at World No.2, he is slowly closing the gap on Scottie Scheffler at the top.

Major winners earn 100 points, while PGA Tour Signature Events give around 70 points to the winner. Standard PGA Tour events usually offer between 20-50 points depending on field strength.

5. Players Championship Exemption

Winning at TPC Sawgrass will open up doors for a good while.

McIlroy probably doesn't need it, but he now knows for 100% certainty that he has a five-year exemption into the tournament.

6. PGA Tour Card

One of the biggest benefits of winning the Players Championship is peace of mind – not just the fact that you can afford to pay off the mortgage; the winner can also relax a little knowing that their PGA Tour card is secured for five years.

Again, this is a perk that Rory McIlroy doesn't really need but one that doesn't do him any harm.

7. Major Exemptions

It's quite often the case that the winner doesn't have to worry about qualifying for Major Championships, given that they'll often be right up there in the Official World Golf Ranking. That is the same with McIlroy who will likely be in all four Majors for the foreseeable future.

However, who knows what's around the corner? Win the Players Championship and you're guaranteed a spot at The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Open for three years (including the current year) - which is a guaranteed 12 Major starts.

8. A Locker

Now this is cool.

Forget the huge payday, winning players at Sawgrass get something that money can’t buy: your own locker in TPC Sawgrass’ Champions' Locker Room. Serious bragging rights.

Rory McIlroy already has his locker in the champions' room so perhaps he gets an extra plaque on his door?

9. Hawaii

Rory McIlroy can also look forward to starting 2026 in Hawaii at The Sentry, which has had its own mammoth purse these past two years – $20 million. He was already qualified, so this will be another unused perk from victory at Sawgrass.

The Sentry is one of eight Signature Events, which features a smaller field and very attractive prize money. He rarely plays in this event, though, as he prefers to start the year in the Middle East.

10. Parking

One of the perks of winning the Players Championship is that you get your own car parking spot at TPC properties.

McIlroy will be able to cruise up and pull straight into his space next year to remind him of the glory of 2025.

Cameron Smith had his own spot after winning the flagship event in 2022, but that was taken away when he joined LIV Golf.