These 5 Golfers Made the Most Money

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour has grown substantially over the last three decades. Only a handful of non-Americans competed on the tour in 1992, while Dottie Pepper led all players in tournament earnings with $693,335. Only 55 golfers earned more than $100,000. In 2021, only two Americans cracked the top 10 earnings list, while 15 golfers made at least $1 million in prize money, and 111 players earned at least $100,000.

Jin Young Ko of South Korea led all players in earnings in 2021 with an impressive $3.5 million, which is over $1 million more than any other player on the LPGA Tour. Last season, the 26-year-old played 19 events and won the Volunteers of America Classic, Cambia Portland Classic, Cognizant Founder's Cup, BMW Ladies Championship, and CME Group Tour Championship. She finished in the top 10 in all but six of the 19 tournaments she played.

Ko, who could not practice in advance of the CME Group Tour Championship due to a nagging wrist injury, tied her career-best 18-hole score of 63 during the tournament's final round to defend her title. Ko earned $1.5 million in prize money and has won the tournament in the past three years. Her South Korean compatriot Sei Young Kim won the tournament in 2019.

American Nelly Korda finished second in total earnings in 2021 with $2.4 million through 17 events, the fewest among the top-five earners. Korda won the Gainbridge LPGA, Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, KPMG Women's PGA Championship, and Pelican Women's Championship presented by Konica Minolta and Raymond James. The 23-year-old has now won seven tournaments on the LPGA Tour. She also won the gold medal in women's golf at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Japanese golfer Nasa Hataoka finished third with $1.9 million in earnings through 21 events. Building off a strong season in 2020 in which she made the cut in each of the 12 tournaments she played, Hataoka won the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana and Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. She made a combined $645,000 from those tournaments. However, her biggest payday was a $480,000 bonus for finishing second at the CME Group Tour Championship. Hataoka finished only one stroke behind Ko at 22-under-par.

Minjee Lee of Australia and Lydia Ko of New Zealand ranked fourth and fifth in earnings with $1.54 million and $1.53 million, respectively. Lee earned $145,041 for a T5 finish at the CME Group Tour Championship and recorded top-10 finishes at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and AIG Women's Open. In addition, she received $675,000 for winning The Amundi Evian Championship in July.

Ko, meanwhile, finished among the top 10 in 11 of the 20 tournaments in which she participated. She earned $300,000 for winning the LOTTE Championship in April. Also, She collected more than $100,000 for her performances at the Gainbridge LPGA, ANA Inspiration, The Amundi Evian Championship, and Pelican Women's Championship. The 24-year-old New Zealand native has won 16 LPGA Tour events, including five in 2015, since 2012.