The 152nd British Open tees off on Thursday, July 18, and the winner will receive$ 3.1 million, according to The R&amp, A, which runs the golf major. It is a record sum for The Open Championship, but it’s an increase of only$ 100, 000 or 3 % and last year when American Brian Harmon won.
” The R&amp, A has a duty to strike a balance between maintaining The Open’s position in the global activity, providing the resources required for management and developing amateur and recreational sport in 146 places internationally”, Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&amp, A, said in a statement Monday announcing the information. ” We have to make decisions if we want to continue building on the significant increase in participation that is crucial for golf’s future.”

The total purse for the event, the smallest of golf’s major championships, is$ 17 million, up$ 500, 000. The U. S. Open is the biggest at$ 21.5 million, and last month, Bryson DeChambeau earned$ 4.3 million for his win. Scottie Scheffler won$ 3.6 million of the Masters ‘$ 20 million pool. In May, Xander Schauffele made$ 3.3 million for his PGA Championship title—the total payout was$ 18.5 million.
With the launch of LIV Golf, golf prize money has increased significantly in recent years. In 2023, LIV paid out$ 405 million over 14 events, including$ 115 million in team prize money. In response to LIV poaching of its player roster, the PGA Tour increased its prize money last year. The Tour handed out more than$ 560 million in 2023, including$ 100 million for the Player Impact Program ( PIP ) and$ 75 million for the Tour Championship, up$ 140 million from the prior year.
The PGA Tour bumped the total purse to$ 20 million and winner’s check to$ 4 million for most of its 14 newly dubbed “elevated” events—it marked a 47 % increase from the payouts at those 14 events in 2022. The totals corresponded to the events that LIV was running.
By the second week in June, Scheffler had broken his own 2023 prize money record this year thanks to the skyrocketing payouts. His current total is$ 27.7 million.
We are concerned about the impact that significant increases in men’s professional prize money are having on the public opinion of the sport and its long-term financial viability, Slumbers said. As we work toward our goal of ensuring golf continues to thrive in 50 years, we are determined to act with the interests of the global game in mind.
The Royal Troon Golf Club will host the British Open on Thursday. The club hosted the Open for the final time in 2016 with the win by Hans Stenson. This year’s favorites are Scheffler ( + 450 ), Rory McIlroy ( + 750 ) and Schauffele ( + 1100 ), according to DraftKings.