British Open prize money

ESPN ran this article today, saying the Women's golfer of the year will be paid 1/3 what the the Men's golfer of the year will be paid:

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/27145877/womens-british-open-winner-paid-less-one-third-men-prize

Nowhere in said article does it mention how much revenue or profit said tournaments bring in to the R&A ... wouldn't that be relevant to what the winner of the tournament is paid?

Depends. Are you arguing for social justice or are you really wanting to discuss why a "pay gap" exists? We of course know how ESPN is framing it.

^And? Are you just looking to be offended by something and struggling to find it?

Click-me headline aside, seems a pretty straightforward and neutral article, with straightforward quotes attributed to the R&A:

"We recognised that more needed to be done to elevate the prize fund for this great championship and are pleased that we have been able to make a significant increase this year," said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A.

"This is an important first step, and we know it will take time to move closer to achieving parity with the men's game."

Seems sensible enough to me :-|

I hate that this gets conflated with real pay inequality.

"Champion Golfer of the Year" vs "Champion Woman Golfer of the Year" is not an equal pay for equal work scenario.

> @GLG20 said:

> Depends. Are you arguing for social justice or are you really wanting to discuss why a "pay gap" exists? We of course know how ESPN is framing it.

I'd like to know the reason why they're paid 1/3 as much. Are they bringing in less revenue, or are they getting a smaller slice of the revenue. You would think this would be a major piece of the story.

If I see a story saying one CEO is making 1/3 of what another CEO is making, my first question is "How is each of their companies doing?"

> @tatertot said:

> > @GLG20 said:

> > Depends. Are you arguing for social justice or are you really wanting to discuss why a "pay gap" exists? We of course know how ESPN is framing it.

>

> I'd like to know the reason why they're paid 1/3 as much. Are they bringing in less revenue, or are they getting a smaller slice of the revenue. You would think this would be a major piece of the story.

>

> If I see a story saying one CEO is making 1/3 of what another CEO is making, my first question is "How is each of their companies doing?"

Best I could find for a comparison on men's vs women's tour as far as revenue,

**In 2013, the last year in which both organizations' tax documents are available, the PGA Tour Inc. brought in $1.075 billion in total revenue with $364.8 million coming from TV rights and an additional $290 million from sponsors. That same year, the LPGA earned $102.8 million in total revenue, with $14.6 million coming from TV and $5.8 million from sponsors. **

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/15160220/big-gap-earnings-men-women-professional-golfers

I really don't get why people entertain these arguments. Men's sports generate more money. The more money you generate the bigger the prize pool or salaries will be. End of story. Just wait until every WNBA player starts demanding 35+ million a year like the NBA players.

> @tatertot said:

> > @GLG20 said:

> > Depends. Are you arguing for social justice or are you really wanting to discuss why a "pay gap" exists? We of course know how ESPN is framing it.

>

> I'd like to know the reason why they're paid 1/3 as much. Are they bringing in less revenue, or are they getting a smaller slice of the revenue. You would think this would be a major piece of the story.

>

> If I see a story saying one CEO is making 1/3 of what another CEO is making, my first question is **"How is each of their companies doing?"**

Correct, and women sports in general don't do well in the areas it counts. Viewership, Ticket Sales and Sponsors.

> @bscinstnct said:

> > @tatertot said:

> > > @GLG20 said:

> > > Depends. Are you arguing for social justice or are you really wanting to discuss why a "pay gap" exists? We of course know how ESPN is framing it.

> >

> > I'd like to know the reason why they're paid 1/3 as much. Are they bringing in less revenue, or are they getting a smaller slice of the revenue. You would think this would be a major piece of the story.

> >

> > If I see a story saying one CEO is making 1/3 of what another CEO is making, my first question is "How is each of their companies doing?"

>

> Best I could find for a comparison on men's vs women's tour as far as revenue,

>

> **In 2013, the last year in which both organizations' tax documents are available, the PGA Tour Inc. brought in $1.075 billion in total revenue with $364.8 million coming from TV rights and an additional $290 million from sponsors. That same year, the LPGA earned $102.8 million in total revenue, with $14.6 million coming from TV and $5.8 million from sponsors. **

>

> http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/15160220/big-gap-earnings-men-women-professional-golfers

So the PGA Tour makes roughly 10x what the LPGA Tour makes...sounds like the dudes should be making about 10x what the chicks make. There were 4 gals last year that won over $1M while only 2 dudes won over $10M.

PGA Tour needs to point out the inequality!!

Let’s frame it this way: more money is available to women than men in professional golf. None of the Opens or professional tours prevent women from playing, those pieces of prize money are equally available to men and women. On top of that, the “women’s” tours and Opens prevent men from playing, all of that prize money is available to women, but not men. The opportunity to win prize money in golf is in fact unequal.

In this case, any woman is free to enter and qualify for The Open. If she makes the cut she earns prize money. All of the “Champion Golfer of the Year” prize money is available to women, the R and A allows them to compete in both Open Championships, they can double up. The men are not afforded that opportunity. THAT is unequal.... right?

> @golfandfishing said:

> Let’s frame it this way: more money is available to women than men in professional golf. None of the Opens or professional tours prevent women from playing, those pieces of prize money are equally available to men and women. On top of that, the “women’s” tours and Opens prevent men from playing, all of that prize money is available to women, but not men. The opportunity to win prize money in golf is in fact unequal.

>

> In this case, any woman is free to enter and qualify for The Open. If she makes the cut she earns prize money. All of the “Champion Golfer of the Year” prize money is available to women, the R and A allows them to compete in both Open Championships, they can double up. The men are not afforded that opportunity. THAT is unequal.... right?

So your suggestion is to do away with the Women's Open Championship and/or the LPGA overall?

No one is cancelling or diminishing The Open Championship so that the Women's Open Championship can take place.

And as the article stated, the R&A raised The Open Championship purse this year as well; each pie is simply getting bigger.

No, I didn’t say that at all. I think at the moment both events have an appropriate purse to play for. But if the topic is equality then let’s talk equality. IMO - sports is the last place for equality. Competition is about ranking results, not equality.

> @golfandfishing said:

> No, I didn’t say that at all. I think at the moment both events have an appropriate purse to play for. But if the topic is equality then let’s talk equality. IMO - sports is the last place for equality. Competition is about ranking results, not equality.

That's fair enough.

I just think guys see a headline and immediately go down all these hyperbolic memes and tropes that we see in this thread, where it seems the R&A is just taking and talking measured steps.

Obviously on the whole, the LPGA tour would cease to exist PDQ if they tried to jack up their prize money beyond their modest means; however, if the R&A wanted to get more of the way there I think that's a good thing, especially if they want to talk about growing the game, this, that and the other.