Welcome to the new era of the PGA Tour, where even agonizing defeat can pay more than victory from previous seasons.
Jordan Spieth found that out firsthand on Sunday, losing to Matt Fitzpatrick in a three-hole playoff at the 2023 RBC Heritage. Because of its elevated status, the money he made with his second-place finish — $2.18 million — eclipsed the money he made in a playoff victory over Patrick Cantlay at the same event in 2022: $1.44 million.
Of course, Spieth could have made even more in winnings had he held off Fitzpatrick at Hilton Head, Island, S.C.: $3.6 million, or two-and-a-half times more than what he made at this event in 2022. The money he made on Sunday still represents more than anything he earned in a single event last year, and nearly half of his entire 2022 winnings on the PGA Tour ($5.02 million).
MORE: Why RBC Heritage withdrawal will cost Rory McIlroy $3 million
Indeed, the money Spieth made in defeat at Sunday's event eclipsed the winner's share of all but five events from the 2022 PGA Tour:
- Tour Championship ($17.5 million)
- The Players Championship ($3.6 million)
- FedEx St. Jude Championship ($2.7 million)
- BMW Championship ($2.7 million)
- U.S. Open ($2.25 million)
Spieth and his fellow PGA Tour loyalists can thank defectors to the LIV Golf Tour, which secured some of the top-ranked players in the world with massive contracts and similarly impressive payouts for its own fledgling events. The PGA in response elevated several events to take on designated status this year, the RBC Heritage included.
Said competitions not only offer more FedEx Cup points, but also a significant increase in purse size — up to $20 million. That doesn't include The Players Championship or majors, either.
Here's a full breakdown of the RBC Heritage purse for 2023, including the money Fitzpatrick, Spieth and more made:
RBC Heritage purse 2023
Winnings reflect top-25 earning golfers from 2023 RBC Heritage.
| Place | Golfer | Prize money |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Fitzpatrick | $3.6 million |
| 2 | Jordan Spieth | $2.18 million |
| 3 | Patrick Cantlay | $1.38 million |
| 4 | Xander Schauffele | $980,000 |
| T-5 | Hayden Buckley | $772,500 |
| T-5 | Sahith Theegala | $772,500 |
| T-7 | Cam Davis | $607,500 |
| T-7 | Emiliano Grillo | $607,500 |
| T-7 | Brian Harman | $607,500 |
| T-7 | Sungjae Im | $607,500 |
| T-11 | Mark Hubbard | $445,000 |
| T-11 | Taylor Moore | $445,000 |
| T-11 | Chez Reavie | $445,000 |
| T-11 | Scottie Scheffler | $445,000 |
| T-15 | Sam Burns | $335,000 |
| T-15 | Tommy Fleetwood | $335,000 |
| T-15 | Rickie Fowler | $335,000 |
| T-15 | Jon Rahm | $335,000 |
| T-19 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout | $237,000 |
| T-19 | Tyrrell Hatton | $237,000 |
| T-19 | Russell Henley | $237,000 |
| T-19 | Matt Kuchar | $237,000 |
| T-19 | Patrick Rodgers | $237,000 |
| T-19 | Carson Young | $237,000 |
| T-25 | Denny McCarthy | $160,500 |
| T-25 | Justin Rose | $160,500 |
| T-25 | Justin Thomas | $160,500 |
| T-25 | Jimmy Walker | $160,500 |