Brian Harman lifts the Claret Jug after winning the 2023 Open Championship

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER SET TO POCKET OVER $3M

The winner of The 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon will receive $3.1 million (£2.4m)  in prize money.

The Champion Golfer of the Year will receive the highest amount in The Open’s history as it returns to the renowned Ayrshire links for the tenth time.

The R&A announced that the total prize fund for The Open, will be $17 million (£13m), representing a $500,000 increase on 2023.

Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “The R&A has a responsibility to strike a balance between maintaining The Open’s position in the global game, providing the funds required for governance and developing amateur and recreational golf in 146 countries internationally.

“We have to make choices if we want to continue to build on the significant growth in participation that is essential for golf’s future.

“We remain concerned about the impact substantial increases in men’s professional prize money are having on the perception of the sport and its long-term financial sustainability. We are determined to act with the interests of the global game in mind as we pursue our goal of ensuring golf continues to thrive in 50 years’ time.”

The last time that Royal Troon hosted The Open in 2016, winner Henrik Stenson received $1.55m, meaning that the first prize has exactly doubled in the last eight years, while the total prize fund has gone up by 98% over the same period.

Despite this latest increase, The Open still offers the lowest prize fund and first prize of the four majors championships.

The 2024 US Open boasted a prize fund of $21.4m (up 75% since 2021), with champion Bryson DeChambeau winning $4.3m. The Masters, which has a much smaller field than the other majors, had a prize fund of $20m this year (up £2m on 2023), with $3.6m going to the winner, Scottie Scheffler. The 2024 PGA Championship had a prize fund of $18.5m (up from $17.5m in 2023), with Xander Schauffele winning $3.33m.

2024 Open Championship Prize Money Allocation

Place USD Place USD
1 $3,100,000 36 $88,700
2 $1,759,000 37 $84,600
3 $1,128,000 38 $80,300
4 $876,000 39 $77,400
5 $705,000 40 $74,900
6 $611,000 41 $71,800
7 $525,000 42 $68,300
8 $442,500 43 $65,200
9 $388,000 44 $61,500
10 $350,600 45 $58,000
11 $319,200 46 $55,000
12 $282,800 47 $52,800
13 $266,000 48 $50,700
14 $249,000 49 $48,400
15 $231,000 50 $47,200
16 $212,700 51 $46,200
17 $202,400 52 $45,400
18 $193,000 53 $44,700
19 $184,900 54 $44,000
20 $176,200 55 $43,300
21 $168,000 56 $42,700
22 $159,600 57 $42,300
23 $151,000 58 $42,000
24 $142,600 59 $41,700
25 $137,800 60 $41,400
26 $131,800 61 $41,200
27 $127,000 62 $41,000
28 $122,600 63 $40,800
29 $117,300 64 $40,600
30 $111,200 65 $40,300
31 $107,600 66 $40,000
32 $102,100 67 $39,700
33 $98,500 68 $39,400
34 $95,700 69 $39,100
35 $92,400 70 $38,900

If more than 70 professional golfers qualify for the final two rounds, additional prize money will be added. Prize money will decrease by $125 per qualifying place above 70 to a minimum of $37,650.

Of those who miss the cut, the leading 10 professionals and ties will be paid $12,350; the next 20 and ties $10,300, while the remainder will receive $8,750.