The Difference Between the PGA and LPGA

When it comes to the prize money associated with the Men’s and Ladies’ Tours, the difference is significant. While gentlemen may prefer blonds, television clearly appears to prefer Men. LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw addressed the issue of the discrepancy in the amount of money the two Tours play for at his recent state of the LPGA address. While the disparity is certainly apparent, the reasons are in many ways outside the control of the LPGA. The economic models of the two organizations, especially when it comes to TV, Votaw said, are vastly different. “For example, on the PGA Tour, a $500,000 purse increase only costs the tournament about half of that amount. The rest comes from the PGA Tour television rights fees. The way I have looked at it is, if there is a difference between what corporate America spends on the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour, the difference is not that substantial,” Votaw said. “The real difference is what the broadcast networks pay to the PGA Tour in terms of rights fees and which the PGA Tour then supplements purses for their players, which is certainly something if I had those rights fees I would do for our players.’’

The LPGA, like many other sports out of what Votaw termed the “male mainstream,’’ doesn’t have the benefit of television rights fees. “That's what really makes the differentiation between the purses so apparent. The LPGA sponsors pay 100 percent of the television costs, time and production. They pay 100 percent of the purse and 100 percent of the operational cost associated with running the event,’’ Votaw said. “PGA Tour corporate sponsors may pay for the operational cost associated with the event. They pay no production cost. They pay some advertising cost and they only pay about half of the purse. That is not a comparison that I think is an intellectually honest comparison when you look at it in those terms.”

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