Justin Thomas earned the biggest single-tournament paycheck in PGA Tour history for winning The Players, taking home $2.7 million

• Justin Thomas' win at The Players Championship is the most lucrative in the history of the PGA Tour.
• Thomas earned $2.7 million for his victory, more than any other single PGA Tour tournament ever.
• The Players' prize pool was so deep that even players who finished 22nd got more than $100,000.

Justin Thomas took home the biggest-ever single-tournament prize in PGA Tour history on Sunday, winning a staggering $2.7 million for his victory in the The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, Florida.

Thomas surged through the field Sunday to shoot a four-under par 68 and win the tournament by one stroke from England's Lee Westwood, who had led for much of the weekend.

In doing so, Thomas won 18% of the tournament's record-breaking $15 million money pool, and earned himself the biggest paycheck ever handed out to a PGA Tour tournament winner - far exceeding the cash paid out to winners of the sport's four majors.

For instance, for winning last season's Masters, world number one Dustin Johnson won $2.07 million, while Bryson DeChambeau earned $2.25 million for winning the US Open.

DeChambeau's paycheck for his victory at Winged Foot matched the previous highest single-tournament prize on the PGA Tour, paid out to Rory McIlroy for his 2019 Players win.

While Thomas' payday is the biggest in PGA Tour history, it falls just short of the $3 million awarded to Jon Rahm and Matthew Fitzpatrick for their wins in the European Tour's DP World Tour Championship in 2019 and 2020.

So large was the prize pot at the 2021 Players that even players finishing outside the top 20 took home checks for more than $100,000.

According to data published by Golf Digest, 21st-place finisher Will Zalatoris made $183,750 over the course of his four days of golf, while the seven men who tied for 22nd place all got $135,964 each.

Even Nate Lashley, who finished dead last of the 71 players to make the cut over the weekend, made over $30,000 for his efforts.

While it is the biggest win in a PGA Tour tournament ever, Thomas' $2.7 million payday pales in comparison to the checks offered for players who win the season-long FedEx Cup.

Last season's champion, Dustin Johnson, earned $15 million for finishing at the top of the PGA Tour's points standings, while in 2017, Thomas took home $10 million for doing the same.