British Open 2026 purse, payout breakdown: How much prize money does the winner make?

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The Open Championship is one of the most prestigious events in sports, as the oldest golf tournament in the world has been in play since 1860.

Golfers don't necessarily play in the Open Championship just for the money, but the payout is certainly a motivating factor in their performance. While the Open Championship doesn't offer the biggest check in the sport, it is paired with a noteworthy trophy in the Claret Jug.

With 156 players competing in the 2026 Open Championship, here's a breakdown of how much each player will earn for the event.

MORE: Explaining the British Open's Claret Jug

British Open tournament purse 2026

The R&A is providing a purse of $17 million for participants at the 2026 Open Championship, the same amount as last year. The Open Championship consistently offers the smallest purse of the four golf majors, as the other three offer a purse of at least $20 million.

The purse will be divided among the golfers who make the cut after the first two rounds, as the amount each golfer makes will depend on where they finish on the leaderboard.

MORE: Explaining the rules for links golf

How much does the British Open winner get?

The British Open winner will earn $3.1 million for taking home the Claret Jug, the same amount that was up for grabs last year when Scottie Scheffler took home the title. That number is slightly lower but still pretty in line with the winnings of the biggest majors and PGA Tour tournaments on the year. 

MOREEvery British Open winner by year

British Open tournament payouts 2026

PositionPayout
1$3,100,000
2$1,759,000
3$1,128,000
4$876,000
5$705,000
6$611,000
7$525,000
8$442,500
9$388,000
10$350,600
11$319,200
12$282,800
13$266,000
14$249,000
15$231,000
16$212,700
17$202,400
18$193,000
19$184,900
20$176,200
21$168,000
22$159,600
23$151,000
24$142,600
25$137,800
26$131,800
27$127,000
28$122,600
29$117,300
30$111,200
36$88,700
37$84,600
38$80,300
39$77,400
40$74,900
41$71,800
42$68,300
43$65,200
44$61,500
45$58,000
46$55,000
47$52,800
48$50,700
49$48,400
50$47,200
51$46,200
52$45,400
53$44,700
54$44,000
55$43,300
56$42,700
57$42,300
58$42,000
59$41,700
60$41,400
61$41,200
62$41,000
63$40,800
64$40,600
65$40,300
66$40,000
67$39,700
68$39,400
69$39,100
70$38,900
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