2026 Open Championship Prize Money: A Record at Royal Birkdale

The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale in 2026—and brings a record prize purse with it. The R&A will award $17.75 million at the 154th edition of the world’s oldest major, with $3.2 million of that going to the winner, who will get to hoist the legendary Claret Jug. Both figures set new records in the history of the Open Championship. And yet: When comparing the four major championships, the Open will remain the tournament with the lowest prize money in 2026—and by a significant margin. What’s behind this decision, and who will earn how much in Southport, England? Here’s an overview of all the answers.

Find the 2026 Open Championship tee times here.

The 2026 Open Championship Prize Money at a Glance

If you’re looking for a quick overview, here are the key figures for the 2026 Open Championship prize money:

This represents a more significant increase from the previous year than in past years—both in total prize money and in the winner’s share, which has been raised by $100,000 compared to 2025. At that time, Scottie Scheffler received a check for $3.1 million following his victory at Royal Portrush.

A Record, but Bringing Up the Rear—The Open Championship in a Major Comparison

Record or not: A direct comparison of the four majors reveals just how wide the gap actually is between the Open Championship and the U.S. majors.

While the Masters and the U.S. Open have increased their prize money by at least one million dollars this year—and the PGA Championship has even surpassed the 20-million-dollar mark—the increase for the Open is comparatively modest. It trails the next-highest major, the PGA Championship, by $2.75 million. The gap to the Masters and the U.S. Open is as wide as $4.75 million.

This gap is no coincidence. It reflects a clear strategic stance by the R&A. Since the launch of the LIV Golf League in 2022, a veritable prize money arms race has taken hold in professional golf. LIV Golf distributes $32.3 million per event, the PGA Tour’s Players Championship $25 million, and the Tour’s signature events $20 million each. R&A CEO Mark Darbon has previously expressed concern about this rapid growth. The message the R&A is sending with its prize money is clear: The Open Championship does not define its value in terms of money.

2026 Open Championship Prize Money Table – All Placings at a Glance

The 2026 Open Championship prize money is distributed among the 156 players in the field based on their final standings. The top 34 on the leaderboard all receive six-figure sums—the cut line is at 70th place. Only the top 70 professionals (and any ties) qualify for the final two rounds over the weekend.

Special Rules for Open Championship Prize Money

• More than 70 professionals in the weekend field: If ties result in more than 70 professionals qualifying for the final rounds, additional prize money will be distributed. For each spot below 70th place, the payout decreases by $125, with a minimum of $39,450.
• Missing the Cut: Players who do not make the cut for the weekend also receive a payout. The top 10 non-qualifiers and any ties receive $12,900; the next 20 receive $10,750; and all others receive $9,100.
• Amateurs: The ten amateurs in the field at Royal Birkdale are not permitted to accept prize money. This rule complies with amateur golf regulations and applies to all majors.

Tradition Over Millions—Why the Open Championship Is Still the Most Prestigious Major

Numbers never tell the whole story—and that’s truer for the Open Championship than for any other tournament. Because it’s not the prize money that draws golfers from all over the world to Royal Birkdale. It’s the Claret Jug.

The Open Championship is the oldest major in the world; this trophy has been contested since 1860. Whoever wins it bears the title of “Champion Golfer of the Year”—an honor more deeply rooted in the sport’s collective memory than any paycheck. Consequently, the R&A’s stance toward the prize money arms race is a sober one. As the U.S. media outlet Front Office Sports aptly put it: “The Open Championship does not participate in golf’s ongoing prize money arms race.”

This restraint is not a weakness, but a strength. For the Open delivers what no prize money can buy: history, traditions, and the rugged charm of links golf. Added to this is the economic impact the tournament has on its host region: The R&A estimates the annual economic benefit of the Open Championship for the respective host region at more than 150 million pounds— a figure that far exceeds the prize money alone.

The fact that the R&A sees no reason to engage in a bidding war with Augusta National or the USGA is treated internally as a matter of identity. The Open doesn’t need $22 million to be relevant. Anyone who wants to win the Claret Jug will come anyway.

How the Open Championship Prize Money Has Evolved

The prize money for the 2026 Open Championship is a record—but a look back at history shows just how far we’ve come. When Royal Birkdale last hosted The Open in 2017 and Jordan Spieth lifted the Claret Jug in a dramatic finale, the total prize money was just $10.25 million. Spieth’s winner’s check: $1.845 million.

Nine years later, the prize money for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale has nearly doubled:

A roughly 73 percent increase in total prize money since 2017—that’s a remarkable development. And yet, the other majors have grown even more significantly during the same period, driven by LIV Golf and the battle for the world’s best players. The Open Championship is growing—but at its own pace, by its own rules.

The Open Championship does not define itself by prize money

The 2026 Open Championship prize money is a record—and at the same time, a statement. $17.75 million in total prize money and $3.2 million for the winner are new records for the world’s oldest golf championship. Yet the R&A makes it unmistakably clear that the Open Championship does not define its place in golf through prize money records, but rather through what has defined this tournament since 1860: tradition, prestige, and the timeless fascination of links golf.

In the end, only one thing matters at Royal Birkdale: Who gets to hoist the Claret Jug—and call themselves “Champion Golfer of the Year” for a year?