The second major championship of the golf season, the 108th PGA Championship, is being played now at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. Running from May 14 to 17, it’s one of the four major championships in men’s golf, played after the Masters and before the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. It features a full field of 156 players, including many of the sport's biggest names, such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jordan Spieth.

As the players compete, their advisors, CPAs, and other professionals are crunching the numbers. That includes advisors like Frank Marzano, a CPA with a master’s in taxation, who has worked in the wealth management industry for over 25 years and is now with Wellspire. Importantly, he’s also a golfer, so he knows his way around the greens as well as a tax form.

Golfer Income And Sourcing

The two most common sources of earned income for a professional golfer, Marzano says, are winnings and endorsements. The latter includes ads, commercials and logo placement on clothes and golf bags.

When it comes to winnings, there is no fixed dollar award. Instead, the golfers receive a share of the purse, which is the total amount of prize money awarded to the professional players competing in the event. The winner gets the largest share and the rest get a piece of the remainder based on their finishing position.

The winner at Aronimink is expected to take home roughly $3.42 million if the winnings mirror those from the PGA Championship in 2025. At this event, the winner’s share has typically been about 18% of the purse, so a $19 million purse would produce a winner’s payout of roughly $3.42 million. The rest is paid down the leaderboard, with second place receiving less than the winner, third less than second, and so on. If players tie, the money for the tied positions is pooled and split evenly among them.

While the game can make some golfers a lot of money, it can also be expensive. To play in a big golf event, like the PGA Championship, you need to qualify. Once there, golfers don't pay entry fees to enter tournaments, but they do have to cover their own expenses, such as travel, accommodations, and meals. And accounting for those expenses is important, Marzano explains, because you want to ensure the players receive the appropriate tax deductions.

In addition to paying for their........

© Forbes