The winner of the claret jug at Royal Birkdale later this month will receive the biggest first-place cheque in British Open history, R&A officials announced overnight upon revealing the purse and prize breakdown.

The champion golfer of the year will earn $US1,845,000 from an overall purse of $US10,250,000. Second-place will earn you $US1,067,000.

In releasing information on the purse, the R&A said that for the first time it will award all prizemoney in American dollars rather than British pounds.

“We are operating in an increasingly global marketplace and have made the decision to award the prize fund in US dollars in recognition of the fact that it is the most widely adopted currency for prizemoney in golf,” said R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers in a press release.

Converting from pounds to US dollars, the overall purse for the Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2016 and St Andrews in 2015 was $US9.3 million and $US9.2 million, respectively. Henrik Stenson earned the equivalent of $US1,549,590 for his victory a year ago, and Zach Johnson took home $US1,794,690 for his playoff triumph at the Home of Golf.

The British Open purse moves the tournament just slightly ahead of the $US10 million given out at the Masters in April, although Sergio Garcia earned more for the victory ($US1,980,000) than the British Open winner will receive. The US PGA Championship also gave out $US10 million in 2016 with $US1.8 million going to Jimmy Walker. The PGA of America has yet to announce what the 2017 purse will be when the event is played at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

The US Open’s purse bump to $US12 million overall at Erin Hills (with $US2.16 million to Brooks Koepka) made it the richest of the four Majors.