2026 PGA Tournaments Ranked by Prize Money (Golf OAD Planner)

See the 2026 PGA Tour schedule ranked by purse tiers, with dates and first-place prize benchmarks to plan smarter Golf One and Done picks.

by Jason Lisk - Dec 30, 2025

Rory McIlory tees off on 11 during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

(Photograph by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire)

In Golf One and Done pools, scoring is driven by prize money earned, not just the finishing position of your selected golfer. When it comes to prize money, not every tournament is equal, and a win can mean very different things depending on the week. Because of that, understanding how much first place is actually worth at each event is critical when making Golf One and Done Picks.

Below, we organize the 2026 PGA Tour schedule into tiers based on prize amount and payout structure, with dates included for planning purposes. For the most important tournaments, the 2025 first-place prize is listed as a reference point for expected One and Done impact. Winners are included in parentheses only for majors and Signature Events, and strictly as historical context.

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Ranking the 2026 PGA Tournaments for Golf One and Done Pools

Below, the tournaments are listed by tier with estimated prize money. Here is a table sorted by event date in chronological order. This makes it easier to see, at a glance, how important each tournament is in terms of prize money, and then scroll down for more detailed information by tier.

DATETOURNAMENTTIER
01-15-2026Sony OpenTier 3
01-22-2026The American ExpressTier 3
01-29-2026Farmers Insurance OpenTier 3
02-05-2026WM Phoenix OpenTier 3
02-12-2026AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AmTier 2
02-19-2026The Genesis InvitationalTier 1B
02-26-2026Cognizant ClassicTier 3
03-05-2026Arnold Palmer InvitationalTier 1B
03-05-2026Puerto Rico OpenTier 4
03-12-2026THE PLAYERS ChampionshipTier 1A
03-19-2026Valspar ChampionshipTier 3
03-26-2026Texas Children’s Houston OpenTier 3
04-02-2026Valero Texas OpenTier 3
04-09-2026The MastersTier 1A
04-16-2026RBC HeritageTier 2
04-23-2026Zurich Classic of New OrleansTier 3
04-30-2026Cadillac ChampionshipTier 2
05-07-2026Truist ChampionshipTier 2
05-07-2026ONEflight Myrtle Beach ClassicTier 4
05-14-2026PGA ChampionshipTier 2
05-21-2026THE CJ CUP Byron NelsonTier 3
05-28-2026Charles Schwab ChallengeTier 3
06-04-2026The Memorial TournamentTier 1B
06-11-2026RBC Canadian OpenTier 3
06-18-2026U.S. OpenTier 1A
06-25-2026Travelers ChampionshipTier 2
07-02-2026John Deere ClassicTier 3
07-09-2026Genesis Scottish OpenTier 3
07-09-2026ISCO ChampionshipTier 4
07-16-2026The Open ChampionshipTier 2
07-16-2026Corales Puntacana ChampionshipTier 4
07-23-20263M OpenTier 3
07-30-2026Rocket ClassicTier 3
08-06-2026Wyndham ChampionshipTier 3
08-13-2026FedEx St. Jude ChampionshipTier 2
08-20-2026BMW ChampionshipTier 2

Watch: Most Important PGA Tournaments for Golf One and Done

Our lead analyst, Jason Lisk, breaks down the most important PGA tournaments for Golf One and Done and how to approach each one. You can watch it below.

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A Note on the Tour Championship

The Tour Championship is intentionally excluded from the tier structure in the chart above and analysis below.

In 2025, the Tour Championship changed its format, awarding $10 million to the event winner and an additional $20 million to the overall FedEx Cup points leader.

Historically, most Golf One and Done pools have ended before the Tour Championship because the prize amounts are so much larger than those of any other event on the schedule. Individual pool rules can vary.

Because many One and Done pools either exclude the Tour Championship entirely or treat it differently, this guide focuses on tournaments that are commonly eligible and comparable within traditional Golf One and Done formats.

Tier 1A: The Big Three Tournaments

These events have the highest Golf One and Done impact on the schedule, driven by elite fields and the largest, most top-heavy purses.

  • THE PLAYERS Championship
    March 12-15, 2026
    2025 first place: $4.5 million
    (2025 winner: Rory McIlroy)

  • The Masters
    April 9-12, 2026
    2025 first place: $4.2 million
    (2025 winner: Rory McIlroy)

  • U.S. Open
    June 18-21, 2026
    2025 first place: $4.3 million
    (2025 winner: J.J. Spaun)

These are the only non-playoff events where a single win can realistically add over $4 million to a One and Done total, making them natural priority weeks to select from among your elite available players.

Tier 1B: Player-Hosted Signature Events

These Signature Events feature elevated purses and limited or strengthened fields (and a cut), placing them just below the very top tier in One and Done importance.

  • The Genesis Invitational
    February 19-22, 2026
    2025 first place: $4.0 million
    (2025 winner: Ludvig Åberg)

  • Arnold Palmer Invitational
    March 5-8, 2026
    2025 first place: $4.0 million
    (2025 winner: Russell Henley)

  • The Memorial Tournament
    June 4-7, 2026
    2025 first place: $4.0 million
    (2025 winner: Scottie Scheffler)

These events offer major-like upside without being majors, and in fact, are worth more than a couple of the majors.

Tier 2: Other Signature Events, Majors, and FedEx Cup Playoffs

This tier includes additional no-cut Signature Events, remaining majors, and playoff tournaments that frequently serve as swing weeks at the end of the season in One and Done standings.

Signature Events

  • AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
    February 12-15, 2026
    2025 first place: $3.6 million
    (2025 winner: Rory McIlroy)

  • RBC Heritage
    April 16-19, 2026
    2025 first place: $3.6 million
    (2025 winner: Justin Thomas)

  • Cadillac Championship (new Signature Event)
    April 30-May 3, 2026

  • Truist Championship
    May 7-10, 2026
    2025 first place: $3.6 million
    (2025 winner: Sepp Straka)

  • Travelers Championship
    June 25-28, 2026
    2025 first place: $3.6 million
    (2025 winner: Keegan Bradley)

Majors

  • PGA Championship
    May 14-17, 2026
    2025 first place: $3.42 million
    (2025 winner: Scottie Scheffler)

  • The Open Championship
    July 16-19, 2026
    2025 first place: $3.1 million
    (2025 winner: Scottie Scheffler)

FedEx Cup Playoff Events

  • FedEx St. Jude Championship
    August 13-16, 2026
    2025 first place: $3.6 million
    (2025 winner: Justin Rose)

  • BMW Championship
    August 20-23, 2026
    2025 first place: $3.6 million
    (2025 winner: Scottie Scheffler)

Tier 3: The Other 2026 PGA Solo Events

For the remaining full-field PGA Tour events, first-place prizes generally ranged from about $1.45 million to $1.8 million in 2025.

From a One and Done perspective, these weeks are usually about preserving elite options and future value, finding opportunities with the next tier of players, and navigating the schedule efficiently.

  • Sony Open — January 15-18

  • The American Express — January 22–25

  • Farmers Insurance Open — January 29-February 1

  • WM Phoenix Open — February 5-8

  • Cognizant Classic — February 26-March 1

  • Valspar Championship — March 19-22

  • Texas Children’s Houston Open — March 26-29

  • Valero Texas Open — April 2-5

  • Zurich Classic of New Orleans — April 23-26 (team event, not used in majority of One and Done pools)

  • THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson — May 21-24

  • Charles Schwab Challenge — May 28-31

  • RBC Canadian Open — June 11-14

  • Rocket Classic — July 30-August 2

  • John Deere Classic — July 2-5

  • Genesis Scottish Open — July 9-12

  • 3M Open — July 23-26

  • Wyndham Championship — August 6-9

Tier 4: Alternate-Field Events

These events are played alongside higher-profile tournaments and typically feature much smaller purses (last year’s winners earned $720,000) and weaker fields. The top players are qualified for other events played the same week, so you usually do not have to worry about preserving players in these events, and can just pick a golfer from among the top options.

  • Puerto Rico Open — March 5-8

  • ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic — May 7-10

  • ISCO Championship — July 9-12

  • Corales Puntacana Championship — July 16-19

Best Way to Plan: Use Our Golf One and Done Picks Tool

If you want the easiest way to plan your entire season, start with our Golf One and Done Picks Tool, which features:

  1. Season Planner Tool: Season planner that tiers every 2026 PGA event by prize money and One and Done importance.
  2. Map Your Strategy: Plan your elite golfers in advance, before Week 1 even starts.
  3. Pick Grades + Stats: Weekly pick grades + key golfer stats (course history, strokes gained trends, more) tailored to your pool format.

We also offer a Majors & Masters Picks Tool built specifically for pools that focus on those marquee events.

For the bigger-picture approach, read our Golf One and Done Strategy Guide to learn how to balance upside, safety, and leverage across the full schedule.

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