Record U.S. Women's Open purse offers hope for pay equality, but Ko says 'still a ways to go'

Dottie Pepper recalls being paired with Meg Mallon for the final round of the 1991 U.S. Women's Open with what she viewed as an impressive $110,000 US first-place prize on the line.

Things have changed, but Lydia Ko says not enough.

Mallon would win that tournament and earn the record-breaking payday.

"It was the first time a winning check was six figures," Pepper said. "That was a big deal."

Pepper has a hard time believing that a little more than three decades later, the top female golfers in the world will be competing for a record $10 million purse, including a winner's share of $1.8 million at the U.S. Women's Open that begins Thursday at Pine Needles, after the USGA secured a major sponsorship from ProMedica.

Ko, the No. 3-ranked women's golfer in the world, said players should be grateful for steps toward equal pay but added "there's still a ways to go."

There is.

The men's 2021 U.S. Open purse was $12.5 million, with $2.25 million going to champion Jon Rahm. The prize money for this year's tournament is expected to increase substantially when it is announced next month. The Masters' purse went from $11.5 million to $15 million this year and the men's PGA Championship increased from $12 million to $15 million.

It is a gender pay discrepancy that is reflective in many professional sports.

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In basketball, the average NBA player made $5.3 million per season, according to Basketball Reference, while WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart earned a league-maximum $228,094. That's a mere drop in the bucket for Golden State's Stephen Curry, whose annual salary is $45.7 million.

Professional female athletes' paychecks are smaller across various sports,