The last men’s major of the 2026 golf calendar has arrived, bringing the game’s elite to Southport, England, where Royal Birkdale Golf Club is hosting the 2026 Open Championship. The Open has long carried the smallest prize fund among golf’s four majors by a notable distance, but the financial gap has never diminished the prestige of lifting the Claret Jug.
For 2026, the R&A has nudged the total Open Championship purse to $17.5 million, an increase of $500,000 from last year’s figure. Even with that boost, the payout remains $3 million behind the next-richest major, the PGA Championship, which sits at $20.5 million in 2026. The R&A, though, has never appeared especially interested in turning The Open into a prize-money showcase, particularly given the tournament’s unmatched history and the character of its classic links venues.
At a time when golf purses across the sport have surged dramatically, The Open has taken a more measured path. Rather than making the kind of sweeping increases seen elsewhere, organizers have opted for steady, incremental growth. The tournament’s pull remains rooted less in the check and more in legacy: winning the oldest major in golf, holding the Claret Jug and earning the title of Champion Golfer of the Year.
In many ways, the approach feels intentional. The R&A appears content to keep The Open outside the escalating prize-money battle involving the Masters, U.S. Open and other high-profile events, preserving a sense of tradition even if that means its payouts trail some PGA Tour signature tournaments.
That does not mean the rewards are small. The 2026 Open Championship winner will collect $3.2 million along with the Claret Jug, while each of the top seven finishers will earn at least $500,000. The top 34 players on the final leaderboard are also guaranteed six-figure paydays.
Follow the action throughout the week with the 2026 Open Championship TV schedule and coverage guide. You can also review the full list of Sunday’s final-round Open tee times and see which seven players most likely to chase down Burns and grab the Claret Jug could make a run at the title.
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.
