The final major championship of the 2026 golf season has arrived, and the best players in the world have assembled in Southport, England, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club for the 2026 Open Championship. As has been the case for years, The Open has the lowest prize purse of any of the four majors by a substantial margin. That does not make raising the Claret Jug any less valuable, of course.
This year's Open Championship purse is $17.5 million, a $500,000 increase from 2025, but still $3 million shy of the next-closest major purse at the PGA Championship ($20.5 million in 2026). While purses around the golf world have skyrocketed, The Open has maintained a steady approach to its purse structure, making consistent, modest increases rather than the huge leaps made by the other majors.
The allure of The Open isn't the money; it's the chance for players to etch their names in golf history by winning the Claret Jug at the oldest of the majors and claiming the coveted title of Champion Golfer of the Year. It is perhaps a statement from the R&A to avoid competing with the Masters and U.S. Open in a prize-money arms race and to keep The Open purse below that of a PGA Tour signature event, proving that money doesn't make a golf tournament important.
That said, there is still a handsome check that comes with claiming Champion Golfer of the Year, as the winner will take home $3.2 million in 2026 with the top 34 on the final leaderboard all earning six-figure payouts.
2026 Open Championship prize money, purse
Total purse: $17.5 million
1st: $3,200,000 2nd: $1,842,000 3rd: $1,181,000 4th: $917,000 5th: $738,000 6th: $639,700 7th: $549,700 8th: $463,250 9th: $406,200 10th: $367,000 11th: $334,200 12th: $296,000 13th: $278,500 14th: $260,700 15th: $241,900 16th: $222,700 17th: $212,000 18th: $202,000 19th: $193,600 20th: $184,500 21st: $175,900 22nd: $167,100 23rd: $158,100 24th: $149,300 25th: $144,250 26th: $138,000 27th: $133,000 28th: $128,400 29th: $122,800 30th: $116,500 31st: $112,700 32nd: $106,900 33rd: $103,100 34th: $100,200 35th: $96,700 36th: $92,900 37th: $88,500 38th: $84,100 39th: $81,000 40th: $78,400 41st: $75,200 42nd: $71,500 43rd: $68,300 44th: $64,400 45th: $60,700 46th: $57,600 47th: $55,300 48th: $53,100 49th: $50,700 50th: $49,400 51st: $48,350 52nd: $47,500 53rd: $46,800 54th: $46,100 55th: $45,300 56th: $44,700 57th: $44,250 58th: $43,950 59th: $43,625 60th: $43,325 61st: $43,100 62nd: $42,900 63rd: $42,700 64th: $42,500 65th: $42,150 66th: $41,825 67th: $41,500 68th: $41,200 69th: $40,900 70th: $40,700
If more than 70 players make the cut, prize money will decrease by $125 per qualifying place above 70 to a minimum of $39,450.
