2024 British Open Prize Money Increased to Record $17M Purse; Winner Will Earn $3.1M

The Open Championship is once again increasing its prize pool, but it's still lagging behind other golf majors.

The winner of the 2024 British Open will take home $3.1 million from a prize pool of $17 million, a small bump from the $16.5 million total prize pool last year.

"The R&A has a responsibility to strike a balance between maintaining The Open's position in the global game, providing the funds required for governance and developing amateur and recreational golf in 146 countries internationally," R&A CEO Martin Slumbers said in a statement. "We have to make choices if we want to continue to build on the significant growth in participation that is essential for golf's future."

The Open Championship's overall purse lags $1.5 million below the next-lowest major, the PGA Championship, and is $4.5 million behind the U.S. Open, which offers the greatest prize pool among the majors.

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Golf Major Prize Money

1. U.S. Open: $21.5 million ($4.3 million to winner)
2. Masters: $20 million ($3.6 million to winner)
3. PGA Championship: $18.5 million ($3.3 million to winner)

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Slumbers said the R&A is "concerned" regarding the massive increase in prize money in recent years.

"We remain concerned about the impact substantial increases in men's professional prize money are having on the perception of the sport and its long-term financial sustainability," Slumbers said. "We are determined to act with the interests of the global game in mind as we pursue our goal of ensuring golf continues to thrive in 50 years' time."

Prize money across the sport of golf has spiked in recent years, thanks in large part to competition coming from the LIV Golf tour. LIV has poached several high-profile golfers with nine-figure pay days and a more limited schedule, which has led to the PGA Tour and other tours to bump up their prizes.

For comparison, the Open Championship had a total prize pool of $11.5 million in 2021. At the time, that put the Open on par with the Masters and only slightly behind the U.S. Open ($12.5 million) and PGA Championship ($12 million). So, while the R&A has approved a massive increase in its prize pool over the last three years, the U.S. Open and Masters have nearly doubled their rates.

The 2024 British Open will take place at Royal Troon Golf Club this weekend. Brian Harman is the defending champion and won $3 million for his triumph last year.