How much prize money does the winner get at the 2023 British Open? Purse and payout

From Scheffler to McIlroy and Smith to Spieth, there are a host of stars on the links for the British Open this year and with that, the purse has been given a significant increase. Brian Harman came out on top at the 2023 British Open.

The 2023 British Open purse is sizeable

While it may not be the biggest amount of prize money available this year, it goes without saying that the Claret Jug and the purse that accompanies it is one of the most prestigious prizes in the golfing world, and quite frankly has always been. In this, the 151st edition of the famous tournament, there is no less anticipation and desire amongst the golfers in the field. Indeed, some of the world’s best players are in Hoylake for the age-old event, and thus far it has definitely lived up to the hype. With that said, it’s interesting to note how some of the biggest names have got off to a rough start with the likes of defending champion Cameron Smith currently sitting in 49th, and the recently red-hot Rory McIlroy who won the British Open in 2021 tied for 19th.

Nonetheless, one has to imagine that with the purse on offer, Round 2 will see many of golf’s finest upping the ante as they go head to head for what they hope will be a hefty payday. As for what amount exactly is on offer, the purse for the 2023 British has actually been increased by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) from the $14 million that was on offer in last year’s tournament, to $16.5 million - an 18% increase - for this year’s event. “Our aim is to ensure The Open remains at the pinnacle of world golf and we have almost doubled the prize fund since 2016,” said R&A CEO Martin Slumbers. “While we are seeing substantial increases in prize money across the men’s professional game, we are fulfilling our wider obligation to the sport by elevating the AIG Women’s Open, strengthening pathways in the elite amateur game, and encouraging more people around the world to play golf. We believe that getting this balance right is vital to the long-term future of the sport.” For perspective, in 2016 the total prize money paid out for the British Open was $8.5 million which is to say, things have come a long way in a short period of time.

What is the winner’s share of the British Open purse?

For the purpose of clarity, we will take a look at the first ten positions on the leaderboard and their respective winnings. If you’d like to have a look at the full breakdown of the earnings for the entire field then take a look here.

How does the British Open purse measure up with other majors?

Interestingly, though the British Open is the oldest golf tournament in the world today, the purse on offer is actually the smallest of the four major championships. You can see the comparison below: