Brooks Koepka, Carlota Ciganda—and the LPGA Tour—were the big winners in the Aon Risk Reward Challenge.

Professional tennis had a groundbreaking event 46 years ago, when, for the first time, female competitors received prize money equal to their male counterparts in a Grand Slam event, the U.S. Open. In 2019, we might’ve witnessed a similar game-changing, equal-pay-for-equal-play moment in golf.

Aon, a global professional services firm that provides data-driven solutions for risk, retirement and health, partnered with the PGA TOUR and LPGA to establish the Aon Risk Reward Challenge. The season-long competition identifies the best strategic thinkers on Tour. Here’s how the initiative works: A player’s two best scores on the designated Challenge hole at each tournament count in the year-long total (minimum 40 rounds). The golfer with the best average score to par is the winner.

The kicker? A $1 million winner-take-all payday. On both Tours. Given the chatter surrounding equal pay (or lack thereof) in pro sports, Aon’s commitment cannot be underestimated. For the record, the competitions were riveting. In August, Brooks Koepka won a tie-breaker on the PGA TOUR, and this month, Carlota Ciganda captured the LPGA’s prize by the slimmest of margins.

For Ciganda, a two-time winner on Tour, the $1 million is validation for playing consistently great golf throughout the year. “It’s a big honor for me to win the prize,” she said. “Playing for equal prize money is unbelievable, especially nowadays since the men earn so much more money than women. As women, it’s really important to see the same prize. I’m very thankful Aon started the [Risk Reward Challenge] initiative and, hopefully, more companies will do the same.” Consider this: Ciganda wrapped up the regular season in 15th place on the Money List and pocketed $963,602. By comparison, Tommy Fleetwood (15th on the PGA TOUR) earned $3,629,986.

Ciganda’s road to the Risk Reward Challenge title wasn’t an easy one. With five events remaining, journeyman Lee-Ann Pace held the top spot. An improbable feat considering she was winding down an injury-filled career. Pace failed to qualify for the last few regular-season tournaments and finished in third place at -0.731. Other players, like Brooke Henderson, In-Kyung Kim, Jin Young Ko, and Hyo Joo Kim also challenged but came up short.

The final four events were a battle between the eventual champ and Ariya Jutanugarn. Ciganda, who trailed in the standings headed to the Buick LPGA Shanghai tournament in mid-October, made birdie-eagle to overtake Jutanugarn, who carded birdie-birdie. The designated Challenge hole was no slouch—481-yard par-5 with water on the left side off the tee. The next week, at the BMW Ladies Championship, Ciganda stretched the lead with birdie-eagle on a 505-yard par-5. A remarkable 6-under-par in four Challenge holes! Jutanugarn’s consistent excellence continued with birdie-birdie. Two events remained: Ciganda stood at -0.841 (37-under on 44 holes) and Jutanugarn at -0.800 (40-under on 50 holes).

The competition took an interesting turn at this point. Having played the requisite 40 rounds, Ciganda chose to sit out the final two tournaments and prepare for the post-season CME Group Tour Championship. This meant Jutanugarn needed 6-under on the last four Challenge holes to capture the coveted prize. She nearly pulled it off. After recording par-eagle in the penultimate event, Jutanugarn made birdie-eagle during the final tournament. Ciganda captured the title by ONE stroke, with a final tally of -0.841 to -0.833.

The Aon Risk Reward Challenge paid huge dividends for savvy, calculated, fact-based decision making and pinpoint execution. In Brooks Koepka and Carlota Ciganda, you have two worthy, equal champions.