In 1981 The Open Championship didn’t count as official PGA Tour money, so this prize money isn’t part of anyone’s official PGA Tour total for the season.
The Open paid its prize money in pounds. Amounts are shown in US dollars, converted at the 1981 average rate of $2.02 per pound, with the original amount in pounds beside each one.
Bill Rogers finished -4 and took 13% of the purse. That $50,608 is worth about $184,923 in 2026 dollars.
How the 1981 Open Championship purse was split
Every paid player in finishing order. The top 10 took 51% of the money, and the dashed line marks the smallest check.
1981 Open Championship prize money for every player
Final positions and prize money, with what the same untied position paid the year before.
| Pos | Player | To par | Last year | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Rogers | -4 | $58,115 | $50,608 -13% £25,000 |
| 2 | Bernhard Langer | E | $40,681 | $35,425 -13% £17,500 |
| T3 | Ray Floyd | +3 | $31,382 | $23,786 £11,750 |
| T3 | Mark James | +3 | $31,382 | $23,786 £11,750 |
| 5 | Sam Torrance | +4 | $17,207 £8,500 | |
| T6 | Bruce Lietzke | +5 | $16,853 | $15,688 £7,750 |
| T6 | Manuel Piñero | +5 | $16,853 | $15,688 £7,750 |
| T8 | Howard Clark | +6 | $13,158 £6,500 | |
| T8 | Ben Crenshaw | +6 | $13,158 £6,500 | |
| T8 | Brian Jones | +6 | $13,158 £6,500 | |
| T11 | Isao Aoki | +7 | $10,122 £5,000 | |
| T11 | Nick Faldo | +7 | $10,122 £5,000 | |
| T11 | Lee Trevino | +7 | $10,122 £5,000 | |
| T14 | Brian Barnes | +8 | $6,559 £3,240 | |
| T14 | Eamonn Darcy | +8 | $6,559 £3,240 | |
| T14 | David Graham | +8 | $6,559 £3,240 | |
| T14 | Nick Job | +8 | $6,559 £3,240 | |
| T14 | Sandy Lyle | +8 | $6,559 £3,240 | |
| T19 | Gordon J. Brand | +9 | $4,073 £2,012 | |
| T19 | Graham Marsh | +9 | $4,073 £2,012 | |
| T19 | Jerry Pate | +9 | $4,073 £2,012 | |
| T19 | Peter Townsend | +9 | $4,073 £2,012 | |
| T23 | Hubert Green | +10 | $3,453 £1,706 | |
| T23 | Tony Jacklin | +10 | $3,453 £1,706 | |
| T23 | Mark McNulty | +10 | $3,453 £1,706 | |
| T23 | Jack Nicklaus | +10 | $3,453 £1,706 | |
| T23 | Simon Owen | +10 | $3,453 £1,706 | |
| T23 | Arnold Palmer | +10 | $3,453 £1,706 | |
| T23 | Nick Price | +10 | $3,453 £1,706 | |
| T23 | Tom Watson | +10 | $3,453 £1,706 | |
| T31 | John Morgan | +11 | $2,480 £1,225 | |
| T31 | Greg Norman | +11 | $2,480 £1,225 | |
| T31 | Trevor Powell | +11 | $2,480 £1,225 | |
| T31 | Des Smyth | +11 | $2,480 £1,225 | |
| T35 | Bob Charles | +12 | $1,966 £971 | |
| T35 | Bill Dunk | +12 | $1,966 £971 | |
| T35 | Tommy Horton | +12 | $1,966 £971 | |
| T35 | Masashi Ozaki | +12 | $1,966 £971 | |
| T39 | Seve Ballesteros | +13 | $1,672 £826 | |
| T39 | Neil Coles | +13 | $1,672 £826 | |
| T39 | Rodger Davis | +13 | $1,672 £826 | |
| T39 | Johnny Miller | +13 | $1,672 £826 | |
| T39 | Florentino Molina | +13 | $1,672 £826 | |
| T44 | Ken Brown | +14 | $1,630 £805 | |
| T44 | Terry Gale | +14 | $1,630 £805 | |
| T44 | Ron Streck | +14 | $1,630 £805 | |
| T47 | Jaime Gonzalez | +15 | $1,630 £805 | |
| T47 | Mark O'Meara | +15 | $1,630 £805 | |
| T47 | Hal Sutton Amateur | +15 | Not known | |
| T50 | David Jones | +16 | $1,630 £805 | |
| T50 | Divid Thorp | +16 | $1,630 £805 | |
| T50 | Brian Waites | +16 | $1,630 £805 | |
| T53 | Garry Cullen | +17 | $1,559 £770 | |
| T53 | Mike Ferguson | +17 | $1,559 £770 | |
| T53 | Eddie Poland | +17 | $1,559 £770 | |
| T56 | Warren Humphreys | +18 | $1,559 £770 | |
| T56 | Noel Hunt | +18 | $1,559 £770 | |
| T58 | Geoff Godwin Amateur | +19 | Not known | |
| T58 | John O'Leary | +19 | $1,559 £770 | |
| T58 | Payne Stewart | +19 | $1,559 £770 | |
| 61 | Dick McClean | +23 | $1,559 £770 | |
| 2nd CUT | Vicente Fernández | +13 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | John Fowler | +13 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Stephen Keppler Amateur | +13 | $0 | |
| 2nd CUT | Peter Oosterhuis | +13 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Gary Player | +14 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | John Bland | +15 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | José María Cañizares | +15 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Duncan Evans Amateur | +15 | $0 | |
| 2nd CUT | Massimo Mannelli | +15 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Martin Poxon | +15 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Ian Young Amateur | +15 | $0 | |
| 2nd CUT | Tienie Britz | +16 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Roger Chapman Amateur | +16 | $0 | |
| 2nd CUT | Ross Drummond | +16 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | David Jagger | +16 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Noel Ratcliffe | +16 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Philip Walton Amateur | +16 | $0 | |
| 2nd CUT | Mark Thomas | +17 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Stewart Ginn | +18 | $992 £490 | |
| 2nd CUT | Maurice Bembridge | +19 | $992 £490 | |
| 1st CUT | Bernard Gallacher | +11 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Steve Martin | +11 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Chris Moody | +11 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Andrew Payne | +11 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Craig Stadler | +11 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Mike Steadman | +11 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Ross Whitehead | +11 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Juan Anglada | +12 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Hugh Baiocchi | +12 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Gordon Brand Jnr Amateur | +12 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Lawrence Farmer | +12 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Antonio Garrido | +12 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Dale Hayes | +12 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Robert Mitchell Amateur | +12 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | David J. Russell | +12 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Andrew Sherborne Amateur | +12 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Mike Gallagher | +13 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Phil Loxley | +13 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Peter Barber | +14 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Rafe Botts | +14 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | David Ingram | +14 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Bobby Lincoln | +14 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Bill McColl | +14 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Mike Miller | +14 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Ian Mosey | +14 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Philippe Ploujoux Amateur | +14 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Paul Thomas Amateur | +14 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Haruo Yasuda | +14 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | David Blakeman Amateur | +15 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Manuel Calero | +15 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Charles Cox | +15 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Harold Henning | +15 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Carlo Knauss | +15 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Garry Logan | +15 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Bill Longmuir | +15 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Gordon Manson | +15 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Tim Planchin Amateur | +15 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Stephen Rolley | +15 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | R. W. Seamer Amateur | +15 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Paul Carrigill | +16 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Andrew Chandler | +16 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Brian Lawson | +16 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | David Williams | +16 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Roger Fidler | +17 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Stephen Ling Amateur | +17 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Stuart Meiklejohn | +17 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Roger Stephens | +17 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Manuel Ballesteros | +18 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | David M. Edwards | +18 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Carl Mason | +18 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Tony Minshall | +18 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Christopher Mitchell Amateur | +18 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Rae Sargent | +18 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Steve Barr | +19 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Paul Foley | +19 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Graeme Pook Amateur | +19 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Brian Thompson | +19 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | John Ambridge | +20 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Michael King | +20 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Chris Phillips | +20 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | David Regan | +20 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Grahame Cowlishaw | +21 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Nick Brown | +22 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Nick Brunyard | +22 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | John Heib Amateur | +22 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Andrew Griffiths | +23 | $638 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Mark Lawrence Amateur | +23 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | R. J. Hall Amateur | +24 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Tore Sviland Amateur | +24 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Ian Lee | +32 | $638 £315 | |
| DQ | Jimmy Heggarty | +7 | $638 £315 | |
| DQ | Philip Clark | +9 | $638 £315 |
The Open Championship winner's share over time
This year is labeled. Full tournament history →
1981 Open Championship payout FAQ
How much did the winner of the 1981 Open Championship get?
Bill Rogers won $50,608 from a $404,860 purse.
What was the 1981 Open Championship purse?
$404,860.
How much did last place get at the 1981 Open Championship?
The smallest check was $638, to Philip Clark (DQ).
How many players made the cut at the 1981 Open Championship?
61 players made the cut and finished, and 90 players missed it.