What the last paid spot is worth
PGA Tour purses are split by a fixed table: the winner takes about 18%, and the share shrinks with each place down to the last player to make the cut, who gets a fraction of one percent. Because every place is a percentage of the purse, the smallest check rises when purses rise.
Since 2001 the average smallest check has grown 3.2 times, from $10,484 to $34,055, and the average purse per event has grown 3.5 times. After inflation, the 2001 figure is worth about $19,672 in 2026 dollars.
The richest last-place money came at the 2026 Tour Championship, where Gary Woodland earned $360,000. Limited-field events with no cut pay everyone, which is why they top this list.
For a player near the bottom of the money list, the cut line is the season. Making it pays enough to cover a week's travel and caddie. Missing it means paying for the week out of pocket.
The smallest check, season by season
The average of each event's smallest paycheck.
The richest consolation prizes
Events where even the last paid player earned the most.