LPGA total prize money keeps climbing, yet it’s still possible to make the cut and lose money. Some players are asking, should the winners make less?

BELLEAIR, Fla. — The winner’s check at the upcoming CME Group Tour Championship will be equal to or greater than the purse at 20 of the 32 events on the LPGA this season. That record-setting $2 million payday will make headlines across the country and continue the narrative that there’s more money than ever in the women’s game, and while that’s true, it’s not the whole story.

For those players who have conditional status on the LPGA and fall between No. 101 and 150 on the money list, it’s becoming increasingly harder to make a living.