The reward for winning the Open Championship just got a little more … rewardier. On Tuesday the R&A announced that this year’s Champion Golfer of the Year will receive AU$4,608,000 (US$3.2 million) from an overall prize money payout at Royal Birkdale of AU$25,200,000 (US$17.5 million). That’s a bump of AU$144,000 (US$100,000) and AU$720,000 (US$500,000), respectively, from 2025 at Royal Portrush.
The increase came a day ahead of the traditional Wednesday press conference from R&A chief executive Mark Darbon. A year ago in his first formal press conference since taking over the reins of the governing body, Darbon noted a concern about the rising purses in major championships. For the R&A in particular, Darbon explained that the money offered to players comes at the expense of other programs that it funds, impacting the R&A’s mission of growing the game at a grassroots level.
Despite Darbon’s lament, the Masters, PGA Championship and US Open each increased their prize money payouts in 2026. Here’s where their paydays are right now:
Masters: AU$32,400,000 (US$22.5 million) / AU$6,480,000 (US$4.5 million)
PGA Championship: AU$29,520,000 (US$20.5 million) / AU$5,313,600 (US$3.69 million)
US Open: AU$32,400,000 (US$22.5 million) / AU$6,480,000 (US$4.5 million)
Mind you, claiming the moniker “Champion Golfer of the Year” and having possession of the claret jug might be worth even more in the long run than the payday the winner will claim.
Its public fiscal caution aside, the R&A has followed the trend of others with steady increases in its prize money payouts over the last few decades. Here’s how much the winners at Royal Birkdale have earned over time, in part mirroring the overall rise.
1954: £3,500 total, £750/US$1,000 (Peter Thomson)
1961: £8,500 total, £1,150/US$1,538 (Arnold Palmer)
1965: £10,000 total, £1,750/US$2,340 (Peter Thomson)
1971: £45,000 total, £5,500/US$7,356 (Lee Trevino)
1976: £75,000 total, £7,500/US$10K (Johnny Miller)
1983: £310,000 total, £40,000/US$53.5K (Tom Watson)
1991: £900,000 total, £90,000/US$120K (Ian Baker-Finch)
1998: £1.8 million total, £300,000/US$401K (Mark O’Meara)
2008: £4.2 million total, £750,000/US$1M (Padraig Harrington)
2017: US$10.25 million total, US$1.845 million (Jordan Spieth)
*Dollars before 2017 figured using an exchange rate of US$1 equal to £0.75. The R&A began paying prize money in US dollars in 2017.
Here’s the prize money payouts for everybody who will play 72 holes this week.
Win: AU$4,608,000 (US$3,200,000)
2: AU$2,652,480 (US$1,842,000)
3: AU$1,700,640 (US$1,181,000)
4: AU$1,320,480 (US$917,000)
5: AU$1,062,720 (US$738,000)
6: AU$921,168 (US$639,700)
7: AU$791,568 (US$549,700)
8: AU$667,080 (US$463,250)
9: AU$584,928 (US$406,200)
10: AU$528,480 (US$367,000)
11: AU$481,248 (US$334,200)
12: AU$426,240 (US$296,000)
13: AU$401,040 (US$278,500)
14: AU$375,408 (US$260,700)
15: AU$348,336 (US$241,900)
16: AU$320,688 (US$222,700)
17: AU$305,280 (US$212,000)
18: AU$290,880 (US$202,000)
19: AU$278,784 (US$193,600)
20: AU$265,680 (US$184,500)
21: AU$253,296 (US$175,900)
22: AU$240,624 (US$167,100)
23: AU$227,664 (US$158,100)
24: AU$215,072 (US$149,300)
25: AU$207,720 (US$144,250)
26: AU$198,720 (US$138,000)
27: AU$191,520 (US$133,000)
28: AU$184,896 (US$128,400)
29: AU$176,832 (US$122,800)
30: AU$167,760 (US$116,500)
31: AU$162,288 (US$112,700)
32: AU$153,936 (US$106,900)
33: AU$148,464 (US$103,100)
34: AU$144,288 (US$100,200)
35: AU$139,248 (US$96,700)
36: AU$133,776 (US$92,900)
37: AU$127,440 (US$88,500)
38: AU$121,104 (US$84,100)
39: AU$116,640 (US$81,000)
40: AU$112,896 (US$78,400)
41: AU$108,288 (US$75,200)
42: AU$102,960 (US$71,500)
43: AU$98,352 (US$68,300)
44: AU$92,736 (US$64,400)
45: AU$87,408 (US$60,700)
46: AU$82,944 (US$57,600)
47: AU$79,632 (US$55,300)
48: AU$76,464 (US$53,100)
49: AU$73,008 (US$50,700)
50: AU$71,136 (US$49,400)
51: AU$69,624 (US$48,350)
52: AU$68,400 (US$47,500)
53: AU$67,392 (US$46,800)
54: AU$66,384 (US$46,100)
55: AU$65,232 (US$45,300)
56: AU$64,368 (US$44,700)
57: AU$63,720 (US$44,250)
58: AU$63,288 (US$43,950)
59: AU$62,820 (US$43,625)
60: AU$62,388 (US$43,325)
61: AU$62,064 (US$43,100)
62: AU$61,776 (US$42,900)
63: AU$61,488 (US$42,700)
64: AU$61,200 (US$42,500)
65: AU$60,696 (US$42,150)
66: AU$60,228 (US$41,825)
67: AU$59,760 (US$41,500)
68: AU$59,328 (US$41,200)
69: AU$58,896 (US$40,900)
70: AU$58,608 (US$40,700)
If more than 70 professional golfers qualify for the final two rounds, additional prize money will be added. Prize money will decrease by AU$180 (US$125) per qualifying place above 70 to a minimum of AU$56,808 (US$39,450). Non-qualifiers after two rounds: leading 10 professional golfers and ties AU$18,576 (US$12,900); next 20 professional golfers and ties AU$15,480 (US$10,750); remainder of professional golfers and ties AU$13,104 (US$9,100).
