Winning the Claret Jug is about the history. The names on the silver. The walk up the 18th at a place like Royal Portrush or St Andrews. But let's be real—the check matters too.
When Scottie Scheffler hoisted the trophy at the 2025 Open Championship, he wasn't just cementing his legacy. He was banking $3.1 million. It's a massive number. It’s also exactly what Xander Schauffele got a year earlier at Royal Troon. For the first time in nearly a decade, the R&A decided to hold the line. They kept the total purse at $17 million.
It was a statement. In a world where golf is currently drowning in cash—LIV millions, Signature Event bonuses, and massive TV deals—the oldest major in the world decided enough was enough. Mark Darbon, the R&A’s chief executive, basically said they have to balance the books. They can't just keep inflating the top end while trying to grow the game in 140-something countries. Honestly, it’s a refreshing take, even if some of the pros might disagree.
The Open Championship Prize Money Breakdown: Where the Millions Go
You've probably noticed that the gap between first and second place is a literal chasm. That’s by design. The winner gets the lion’s share, taking home roughly 18.2% of the total $17 million pot.
The drop-off is steep. While Scottie banked that $3.1 million for his win at Portrush, Harris English grabbed $1,759,000 for finishing second. Still a great week at the office, but a $1.3 million difference for a couple of strokes is wild.
If you finish in the top three, you're a millionaire for the week. Third place, which Chris Gotterup secured in 2025, pays out $1,128,000. After that, the numbers start to look a lot more "normal," at least by professional athlete standards.
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The Payout for the Top Finishers
- Winner: $3,100,000
- 2nd Place: $1,759,000
- 3rd Place: $1,128,000
- 4th Place: $876,000
- 5th Place: $705,000
- 10th Place: $350,600
What’s interesting is the "participation trophy" for the guys who don't even make the weekend. If you're a pro and you miss the cut, you don't go home totally empty-handed. The top 10 pros who miss out get $12,350. The next 20 get $10,300. Everyone else? They get $8,750 just for showing up and playing 36 holes. It basically covers the travel, the caddie, and the hotel. Golf is expensive.
Why the Open is the "Poorest" Major
It sounds ridiculous to call a $17 million event "poor," but in the context of 2026 golf, the Open Championship prize money is actually at the bottom of the list.
The U.S. Open is currently the king of the mountain. They’ve pushed their purse to $21.5 million, with the winner (like J.J. Spaun in 2025) taking home $4.3 million. The Masters and the PGA Championship aren't far behind, both floating around the $20 million mark.
Then you have the Players Championship. That one is in a different stratosphere at $25 million.
The R&A is in a weird spot. They’re a governing body, not a private club or a commercial tour. Every dollar they give to a millionaire at the top is a dollar that isn't going toward amateur golf or sustainability projects. Martin Slumbers, before he handed over the reins to Darbon, was very vocal about the "long-term financial sustainability" of the sport. Basically, they're worried the bubble is going to burst.
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The Evolution: From 10 Pounds to 17 Million
The history of this payout is actually pretty hilarious. In 1860, there was no prize money. None. You got a belt. A red leather belt with a silver buckle.
It wasn't until 1863 that they actually started paying people. The total purse was £10. That’s not a typo. Ten pounds shared between the guys who finished second, third, and fourth. The winner still just got the belt.
It took until 1946 to reach a £1,000 total purse. By 1977—the famous "Duel in the Sun" between Watson and Nicklaus—the purse hit £100,000 for the first time.
The big shift happened in 2017. That was the year the R&A switched from paying in British Pounds to U.S. Dollars. Why? Because the global game is played in dollars. It made the event more attractive to the American stars and stabilized the payouts against currency fluctuations. Since that switch at Royal Birkdale, the money has skyrocketed. We went from a $10.25 million total in 2017 to $17 million today.
Does the Money Still Motivate the Top Guys?
You've got guys like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau who have signed contracts worth hundreds of millions with LIV. Then you have Scottie Scheffler, who has basically become a human ATM on the PGA Tour.
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Does an extra $3 million really change their lives? Probably not.
But the Open Championship prize money acts as a benchmark. It’s a respect thing. The players want to feel like they are playing in the biggest events in the world, and in modern sports, "big" is measured in zeros.
There's also the exemption factor. Winning the Open isn't just about the check you get that Sunday. It’s about the fact that you can play in the tournament until you're 55. It’s about the 750 FedEx Cup points. It’s about the lifetime of appearance fees and sponsorship deals that come with being the "Champion Golfer of the Year."
What to Expect Moving Forward
If you're looking for the purse to jump to $25 million anytime soon, don't hold your breath. The R&A seems content to let the other majors win the arms race while they focus on the "purity" of the Open.
The 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale will likely see another very modest increase, or perhaps another "hold" at $17 million. It depends on the global economy and how much pressure the players put on the organizers.
One thing is for sure: the payout for the guys at the bottom of the leaderboard is just as important as the winner's check. The R&A has been careful to ensure that finishing 70th still pays nearly $40,000. That’s a life-changing week for a qualifier from the Sunshine Tour or the Japan Golf Tour.
How to Track the Payouts
- Check the R&A Official Site: They usually announce the official purse on the Wednesday of tournament week.
- Look for the "Cut" Payouts: Remember that prize money is only for professionals. Amateurs don't get a cent, no matter how high they finish.
- Watch Currency Trends: While the payout is in USD, the local costs in the UK mean the "value" of that prize money shifts for the international players.
The Open Championship prize money is a reflection of where golf stands right now: caught between a century of tradition and a modern world that demands more, more, and more. For now, $17 million is the magic number. It’s plenty to buy a lot of Guinness, but it might not be enough to keep up with the neighbors forever.