As summer swings into high gear, the Korn Ferry Tour heats up with another pivotal stop — the 2025 Price Cutter Charity Championship. Set against the rolling fairways of Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, Missouri, this long-standing event has earned its reputation as a make-or-break proving ground for golf’s rising stars. With big names in the field and high stakes on the line, this week promises intense competition, career-defining moments, and a major shakeup in the standings. But how much is truly up for grabs — and what else rides on a win here?

The Price Cutter Championship has seen a steady rise in its winners’ payouts. In 2021, the total purse was around $600,000, with the winner taking home around $108,000. In 2022, it increased significantly to $750,000 total purse, the winner receiving the usual 18% of the money. By 2023, it had leaped to an incredible sum of $1,000,000, and the winner’s payout bumped up to $180,000. Since then, the figures have remained steady at that level. Pierceson Coody took home the handsome prize money in 2023 while Matt McCarty claimed the title heading into the following year. The event will continue going into the 2025 season.

This year, the winner is set to take home a hefty check of $180,000—an 18% share of the total $1 million purse. This percentage matches the general Price Cutter trend, following a similar standing in terms of prize money in comparison with last year. But money is hardly just the beginning. There’s much more that a win here guarantees the player. One of them is 500 Korn Ferry Tour points—vital in the push toward a coveted PGA Tour card via the season-long Road to French Lick. Add to that approximately 15 Official World Golf Ranking points. This stage is truly a phenomenal step towards a career-shifting opportunity and golfing fame.

The Price Cutter Charity Championship follows a 72-hole stroke-play format. It brings together a field of 156 players aiming to make their mark on the Korn Ferry Tour. After the opening 36 holes, the standard cut is applied—only the top 65 players and ties advance to the weekend. This sharpens the competition heading into the final rounds, rewarding strategic play early on.

36th Price Cutter Championship Starts With A Soggy Note

Heavy showers and weather delays are not an unfamiliar acquaintance, especially in the exposed fields of Highland Springs Country Club. This is not to diminish the nuisance it causes in tournament golf. However, the rain-soaked first round might have acted as a blessing in the 2025 edition of the Price Cutter Championship. Heavy showers halted the game for nearly two hours. But the softened conditions gave players a green light to go low. The players didn’t wait to capitalize on the opportunity. Neal Shipley, standing at -7 before the play was suspended, promptly birdied 14 & 15 to take the lead at -9.

Austin Hitt carded an impressive 63 as well, and shared the lead with Shipley. Hitt came prepared with a strategy, but was able to quickly adjust to the shifting weather conditions. But it was Chandler Blanchet who capitalized late, closing with an eagle-birdie finish to shoot a sizzling 62 and grab the solo lead as darkness fell. Tanner Gore and John VanDerLaan tailed right behind Shipley and Hitt, each at minus 8. The first round finished on a high note despite the gruelling weather conditions that appeared against the players.

The dampened fairways played right into the hands of aggressive shot-makers. If rain persists ahead in the tournament, it can benefit players like Shipley and Hitt. The Price Cutter Charity Championship has already delivered striking play as the leaderboard sits with players at a minute difference. Korn Ferry is priming for a week where every shot matters, as always!