Account
British Open Prize Money 2018: Total Purse Info for Carnoustie Championship
July 19, 2018
The chase for the Claret Jug began on Thursday at Carnoustie, as the British Open got under way on Scotland's east coast.
After his win at Royal Birkdale a year ago, Jordan Spieth will be seeking to defend the title at one of the most difficult courses in the sport. And a high-class field will be seeking to wrest the coveted prize from him.
Names such as Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler are all expected to be in the frame—as are 2018's other major winners in Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka. McIlroy aside, a British winner may come in the form of Tommy Fleetwood or Justin Rose.
With so many quality players set to descend on Carnoustie, some spectacular golf is on the cards.
Prize-Money Details
As reported by the Daily Telegraph, the winner will take home £1,426,000. Details for the top 10 are as follows:
1st: £1,426,000
2nd: £824,000
3rd: £528,000
4th: £411,000
5th: £330,500
6th: £287,000
7th: £246,000
8th: £207,500
9th: £182,000
10th: £165,000
Open Field at Carnoustie
In the previous two Opens, spectators on the final day have been treated to remarkable battles, enhancing this competition's reputation as the best golfing event on the planet.
In 2016, Phil Mickelson pushed eventual champion Henrik Stenson all the way in a gripping tussle at Royal Troon, and Spieth overcame Matt Kuchar at Royal Birkdale in another thriller a year ago.
The iconic moment in 2017 saw Spieth somehow make bogey at the 13th to keep his round from capitulation; his tee shot was well wide to the right, and he produced an incredible recovery shot from which he rediscovered his momentum.
As journalist Simon Evans noted, the American showcased remarkable resolve to turn things around:
Since that triumph, the 24-year-old has yet to win another tournament, although he will be hopeful the links format can again draw the best from him. He will certainly need to improve given the standard of his rivals.
World No. 1 Johnson is among a clutch of players with the quality to challenge for the Claret Jug, and he will want to show he can cope with the conditions at Carnoustie after finishing a disappointing T54 last year.
He's been performing well as of late, with a win at the FedEx St. Jude Classic followed by a third-placed finish at the U.S. Open. Koepka, who won the latter, will be seeking to build on finishes of sixth and 10th in his past two Open appearances.
Meanwhile, golf journalist Jason Sobel believes Jon Rahm, who has yet to win a major title, may be a player to keep an eye on after his excellent finish at the Irish Open:
Having finished as a joint-runner-up at the Open in 2014—he's also been runner-up at the Masters and joint-runner-up at the U.S. Open—Fowler is also searching for his first major. And as we can, see courtesy of the competition's Twitter account, his preparation for Carnoustie started early:
If the British fans are going to get a home winner, Fleetwood has as good a chance as any, especially after his performance at the U.S. Open.
He produced at stunning final round to run Koepka close at Shinnecock Hills, showcasing his versatility. While some will shrink amid the test posed by Carnoustie, expect the 27-year-old to rise to the challenge.
Another is Rose, who has yet to better his performance from 20 years ago in this event. The Englishman memorably finished tied for fourth at Royal Birkdale as a 17-year-old; after a strong 2018, this year's Open may be the one wherein he puts forward a serious challenge again.