Keegan Bradley has recently shared what it really costs to play in a PGA Tour event, while also explaining how his career has benefited from the rise of LIV Golf.
There is no denying Bradley’s remarkable journey. He captured the PGA Championship in 2011 during his first major appearance and went on to captain the US Ryder Cup team in 2025.
Over the course of his time on tour, the 39-year-old has earned over $56 million, with more than $15 million of that total coming since the start of 2024.
Keegan Bradley opens up about PGA Tour event expenses
There is a common perception that professional golfers are all making enormous amounts of money. And certainly, there is big prize money at the top level. But that image does not always match up with the reality for players lower down the rankings.
Bradley was on the Games With Names podcast when he was asked about LIV Golf and its influence on the sport. And he explained why he sees it as a positive change.
He said: “Honestly, I think it’s incredible. There isn’t an aspect of my career that has suffered from any of this. If anything, everything’s way better for us.
“The purses have gone way up, we’re playing a different schedule now. We’re all playing together at the same events. I have friends who went to LIV and I have no issues. I never did. We’ve never been able to be free agents in our life, so these guys are able to figure out, okay you play for the Patriots forever, you’re a free agent, let’s see what we’ve got. And then this other team’s going to pay me 10 times, 20 times, whatever it is, we don’t get any money up front ever. So I don’t have any issues with these guys. I just don’t. I feel like you get these offers and sometimes you have to take them.
“A bunch of people this year will lose money playing the PGA Tour, because when you pay your caddie, your coach, you’ve got your agent, you’ve got everybody down the line. You pay your own expenses. For me, it’s $10-plus grand an event. If you go to the majors and you rent a house, it’s $10-20 grand to rent a house. So if you miss the cut, you lose that money. For a guy that goes out and struggles on the tour, he can be in the negative. So when you go to LIV and they’re giving you this up front money, it’s tough to turn down.”
How much money has Keegan Bradley earned so far on the PGA Tour in 2026?
Bradley has made four appearances this season, which means he has likely already spent at least $40,000 just on travel and other expenses.
Unfortunately, his start to the year has not gone as hoped. After stepping down from his Ryder Cup captaincy, many thought he would find his best form again, but things have not quite clicked yet.
He missed the cut at both the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Genesis Invitational. His best finishes were tied for 43rd at the Farmers Insurance Open and just inside the top 30 at Pebble Beach.
Pebble Beach being a signature event did help though – across those four starts, he has picked up just over $156,000 in prize money.
A lot of that will not actually reach his bank account. According to a Golf Digest article from 2024, one player claimed they lost about $44,000 out of every $100,000 cheque due to taxes alone.
If we apply that same rate to Bradley’s earnings this season, he would be looking at around $68,000 going straight to tax. That figure can vary quite a bit depending on where the player lives and where each tournament is held.
Therefore, it is highly likely that Bradley will forfeit a minimum of $100,000 from the prize money he has accumulated up to this point.
This is not an argument for feeling sorry for PGA Tour players. As Bradley himself points out, there are more opportunities now than ever before in golf.
But it does show how long it can take – even once you reach the top level – before you really start building serious wealth.
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