Everyone knows the WM Phoenix Open for the booze, the 16th-hole stadium, and the chaotic energy that makes it the "People's Open." But behind the flying beer cups and the loudest gallery in golf, there’s a massive financial engine humming along. The phoenix open payout 2025 was a major talking point this year, specifically because the tournament shifted out of the "Signature Event" status it held back in 2023.
If you thought the money would dry up just because it wasn't an "elevated" event, you’d be dead wrong.
The 2025 purse actually saw a healthy bump. It climbed to $9.2 million. That's up $400,000 from the $8.8 million we saw in 2024. While it’s not the eye-watering $20 million from a couple of years ago, the winner still walked away with a life-changing sum.
Belgium’s Thomas Detry absolutely dominated the desert. Honestly, he didn't just win; he put on a clinic. Finishing at 24-under par, he beat the field by seven strokes. For that masterclass, Detry banked exactly $1,656,000. That’s about 18% of the total pool, which is the standard PGA Tour distribution for a full-field event.
Breaking down the phoenix open payout 2025
Golf money is weird. People focus on the winner, but the real story is often how the rest of the field gets paid, especially when you have ties. In 2025, we had a two-way tie for second place between Michael Kim and Daniel Berger.
They didn't just split the second-place money. Basically, the Tour adds the second and third-place prize amounts together and splits them down the middle. Both guys went home with $818,800. Not a bad weekend's work for finishing seven shots back of the leader.
The top of the leaderboard
Detry’s victory was his first on the PGA Tour. It also punched his ticket to the Masters. But look at the guys right behind him. Christiaan Bezuidenhout and the fan-favorite Jordan Spieth tied for fourth. They each cleared $414,000.
Further down, we had a three-way tie for sixth place. Justin Thomas, Will Chandler, and Robert MacIntyre all finished at 15-under. They each took home $310,500.
What's kinda interesting is that you have to finish in the top 22 at TPC Scottsdale to hit a six-figure payday. If you're 23rd? You're looking at $96,140. It's a steep drop-off once you move past the top ten, where the checks stay above $250,000.
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Why the purse matters for the "Rank and File"
For a guy like Thomas Detry, the $1.6 million is great, but the 500 FedEx Cup points are arguably worth more in the long run. They secure his job. For the guys at the bottom of the payout list, it’s a different grind.
Ryan Palmer finished in 77th place. He was 10-over par for the week. For four days of golf in front of thousands of screaming fans, he earned $17,572. When you factor in the cost of a caddie, travel, and taxes, that's barely breaking even.
The "Signature Event" confusion
There’s a lot of noise about which tournaments are "Signature" and which aren't. In 2023, Phoenix was one of those big-money stops with a $20 million purse. Scottie Scheffler won $3.6 million that year.
Fast forward to 2025, and the phoenix open payout 2025 is back in the "regular" tier. But here is the thing: the WM Phoenix Open doesn't need the Signature status to attract a field. The atmosphere does the heavy lifting.
Even without the $20 million carrot, the $9.2 million purse keeps it among the wealthiest non-signature events on the calendar. It’s actually sitting right around the same level as the Cognizant Classic and just a hair behind the Farmers Insurance Open's $9.3 million.
Real numbers from the 2025 payout
If you want to see how the money actually flowed, here’s how the top tier of the leaderboard shook out:
Thomas Detry earned the top prize of $1,656,000. Michael Kim and Daniel Berger followed with $818,800 each for their T2 finish. The T4 duo of Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Jordan Spieth earned $414,000.
Then you had the T6 group of Justin Thomas, Will Chandler, and Robert MacIntyre at $310,500. Rounding out the top ten were Adam Hadwin, Taylor Moore, and Maverick McNealy, who tied for 9th and received $250,700 each.
The money reaches deep, too. Min Woo Lee and Cameron Young tied for 12th, earning $195,500. Even finishing 15th solo, like Sepp Straka did, yielded $167,900.
Why TPC Scottsdale is still the place to be
Despite the purse being less than half of what it was two years ago, the value of winning in Phoenix has gone up in other ways. The OWGR (Official World Golf Ranking) points for 2025 were significant because the field remained deep. Detry jumped significantly in the world rankings, which opens doors to every Major.
Also, let's talk about the 16th hole. Most pros will tell you—off the record, usually—that they'd almost rather win here than at some of the lower-tier Signature events just because of the prestige. It’s the "Greenest Show on Grass" for a reason.
The sponsorship value for Detry is going to be massive. Being the first Belgian to win on the PGA Tour is a huge marketing hook. That $1.6 million check is just the down payment on what he'll likely make in endorsements over the next two years.
Comparing 2025 to previous years
It’s easy to get lost in the numbers, so let's look at the trajectory of this tournament's prize money over the last few years:
- 2025: $9.2 Million (Winner: Thomas Detry - $1.65M)
- 2024: $8.8 Million (Winner: Nick Taylor - $1.58M)
- 2023: $20.0 Million (Winner: Scottie Scheffler - $3.6M)
- 2022: $8.2 Million (Winner: Scottie Scheffler - $1.47M)
As you can see, 2023 was the outlier. If you ignore that one "Signature" year, the tournament has actually shown incredibly steady growth. A $1.65 million winner's share is a 12% increase over what Scottie Scheffler won in 2022. That’s solid growth by any standard in professional sports.
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Practical takeaways for fans and bettors
If you're looking at the phoenix open payout 2025 and wondering what it means for the future of the event, the answer is "stability." The PGA Tour has found a sweet spot for the WM Phoenix Open. It doesn't need to be a $20 million event to be successful.
For bettors, the payout structure matters because it dictates how hard guys at the "bubble" will play on Sunday. In 2025, the difference between T21 and T25 was nearly $31,000. That’s why you see guys grinding out par putts on the 18th even when they are ten shots off the lead.
The next step for anyone following the money on the PGA Tour is to track how these "regular" event winners perform in the Signature Events that follow. Detry’s win in Phoenix wasn't just a payday; it was a qualifier for the high-stakes world of the Genesis Invitational and beyond.
Keep an eye on the FedEx Cup standings. The 500 points Detry earned are often more "liquid" than the cash, as they virtually guarantee a spot in the $40 million Tour Championship at the end of the season. That’s where the real "generational wealth" is made.