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The winner of this week’s Open Championship can look forward to a bumper payday following confirmation of a record-breaking prize fund for the event.

The R&A has revealed that the winner of the championship, which gets underway at Royal St George’s tomorrow morning, will pocket a cool $2,070,000 – the first time in the history of golf’s oldest major that the ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’ will receive more than $2m.

That’s up on the $1,935,000 Shane Lowry trousered when he lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush in 2019.

• Ticket ballot open for 150th Open

The move brings The Open in line with the other three majors, all of which now offer a total prize fund of at least $11.5m.

The Open and The Masters both have $11.5m up grabs, with the US PGA on $12m and the US Open offering $12.5m.

Announcing the decision, Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of The R&A, said: “We have increased the prize fund for The Open this year and believe that it fully reflects the Championship’s stature in world sport. As the only men’s major championship played outside of America, The Open has a global role to play and we are determined to continue to attract the top players.

“We are further enhancing the status of our professional championships at the same time as making good progress towards our investment of £200m over ten years in growing golf around the world.”

The full prize money allocation for The 149th Open is as follows:

1. $2,070,000
2. $1,198,000
3. $768,000
4. $597,000
5. $480,000
6. $416,000
7. $357,000
8. $301,500
9. $264,000
10. $238,500

• Clarke backs Rory to end major drought

11. $217,000
12. $192,500
13. $180,750
14. $170,000
15. $157,750
16. $145,000
17. $138,000
18. $131,500
19. $126,000
20. $120,000

21. $114,500
22. $108,500
23. $103,000
24. $97,000
25. $94,000
26. $90,000
27. $86,500
28. $83,500
29. $80,000
30. $76,000

• Open Confidential: Who our team are backing

31. $73,250
32. $69,500
33. $67,250
34. $65,250
35. $63,000
36. $60,500
37. $57,500
38. $54,750
39. $52,750
40. $51,000

41. $49,000
42. $46,500
43. $44,500
44. $42,000
45. $39,500
46. $37,500
47. $36,000
48. $34,500
49. $33,000
50. $32,250
51. $31,500
52. $31,000
53. $30,500
54. $30,000
55. $29,500

• The Open or British Open? Let’s settle this!

56. $29,100
57. $28,800
58. $28,600
59. $28,400
60. $28,200
61. $28,000
62. $27,900
63. $27,800
64. $27,700
65. $27,500
66. $27,300
67. $27,100
68. $26,900
69. $26,700
70. $26,500


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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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