Even as the LPGA dangles its biggest purse in front of players for this week's US Open, Kiwi star Lydia Ko refuses to be distracted by the dollars.
The American women's tour is enjoying a significant boost in interest and sponsorship this year, with this week's tournament at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in North Carolina offering almost twice as much prizemoney - U$10 million (NZ$15.3 million) - as last year.
Currently ranked third in the world, Ko, 25, will start among the favourites for her third Major title, but first in six years, since her victory at the 2016 ANA Inspiration.
In January, she won her 17th tour event at the Gainbridge LPGA and has seven other top-25 finishes this year, while taking her career earnings to more than US$12 million (NZ$18.5m).
Ko insists women's golf deserves the increased payout, but none of her colleagues are thinking about the money.
"I mean, it's great," she said. "Obviously, you have to play well to be rewarded with that.
"This is probably the Major that all players would like to win, but even our other purses keep increasing and I think that's right. There's so much talent in the women's game and it's cool to be part of the generation of it growing - not just the purses, but the hospitality and fans growing.
"Sometimes, people just talk about the purse, but it's so much more than that."
Ko praises the sponsors that have invested in the women's game, but denies the increased prizemoney comes with increased pressure.
"I don't think so," she said. "I don't think anyone's going to have a putt on the 72nd hole to possibly win and go, 'Oh my goodness, if I miss this putt, it's something-something thousand dollars'.
"I think it will be, 'Oh my goodness, I have this putt to win the US Women's Open or make the cut on Friday'.
"I honestly think, when there's so much on the line, none of us are going to think about the money. You only know it cost them $40,000 later, because Golf Digest said that."
But the money clearly matters to US golf media, who also wonder whether the men are now due a pay rise, based on the women's good fortune. They doubled down on their quizzing of Ko.
Was there any amount of money that would make it about the money?
"No, at the end of the day, it comes with results," she countered. "None of that matters, if your results don't follow.
"Those are the extra bonuses and perks for us. We should be very grateful, but there's still a ways to go and I'm very excited about where golf is trending.
"Yes, more zeroes are better, but we are all professional athletes trying to play well in what we do and having a good time out there, and to play for more money doing that is a bonus."
Over the next few days, Ko will spend time acquainting herself with the course, which she has never played before, but will host its fourth US Open. The more she inspects a course in preparation, the more comfortable she will feel when the pressure goes on.
"To be able to see the course one more time gets you more familiar with it," she said. "When you're in pressured or nervous conditions, everything seems so new.
"I think I played Lake Merced once, I got a painting for winning and I didn't even realise there was a bunker on one hole, but I had played it so many times.
"I remember calling the tournament director and saying 'I think they drew an extra bunker that doesn't exist'. A year later, I went and there was the bunker.
"Now, every time the pin is close, all I'm thinking is, 'Don't go in the bunker'."
