The final men’s golf major of the 2026 season is set to begin at Royal Birkdale, with a huge prize purse on offer for the world’s best golfers.
Rory McIlroy will be aiming to lift his second Claret Jug after winning his first Open title in 2014. The Northern Irish star also won the Masters earlier this year and is chasing another major victory.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler will try to retain his title. If he succeeds, he will become the first golfer since Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008 to win back-to-back Open Championships.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood will also be one of the biggest names to watch. Playing on a course he grew up on, Fleetwood hopes to win the first major championship of his career and become the first English Open winner since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992.
The Open 2026 prize money breakdown
The R&A has increased the total prize fund for this year’s tournament from $17 million to $17.75 million. The winner will receive $3.2 million, which is $100,000 more than last year’s champion.
Despite being played in the United Kingdom, The Open continues to award prize money in US dollars. This has been the standard since 2016 because it is the most widely used currency in professional golf.
The runner-up will take home $1.842 million, while third place will earn $1.181 million. Fourth place receives $917,000, and fifth place will collect $738,000.
Players finishing in the top 10 will all receive at least $367,000. Even golfers who finish lower on the leaderboard will earn prize money, with payouts extending through 70th place.
Professionals who miss the cut will also receive compensation. The leading 10 professionals who miss the weekend will earn $12,900 each. The next 20 players, including ties, will receive $10,750, while the remaining players who miss the cut will collect $9,100.
