In 1982 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 1982 average rate of $1.75 per pound, with the original amount in pounds beside each one.
Tom Watson finished -4 and took 13% of the purse. That $55,936 is worth about $192,584 in 2026 dollars.
How the 1982 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.
1982 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 | Tom Watson | -4 | $54,400 | $55,936 +3% £32,000 |
| T2 | Peter Oosterhuis | -3 | $32,810 | $33,736 £19,300 |
| T2 | Nick Price | -3 | $32,810 | $33,736 £19,300 |
| T4 | Nick Faldo | -2 | $18,700 | $19,228 £11,000 |
| T4 | Masahiro Kuramoto | -2 | $18,700 | $19,228 £11,000 |
| T4 | Tom Purtzer | -2 | $18,700 | $19,228 £11,000 |
| T4 | Des Smyth | -2 | $18,700 | $19,228 £11,000 |
| T8 | Sandy Lyle | -1 | $14,875 | $15,295 £8,750 |
| T8 | Fuzzy Zoeller | -1 | $14,875 | $15,295 £8,750 |
| T10 | Bobby Clampett | E | $12,495 | $12,848 £7,350 |
| T10 | Jack Nicklaus | E | $12,495 | $12,848 £7,350 |
| 12 | Sam Torrance | +1 | $10,710 | $15,417 +44% £8,820 |
| T13 | Seve Ballesteros | +2 | $9,180 | $13,215 £7,560 |
| T13 | Bernhard Langer | +2 | $9,180 | $13,215 £7,560 |
| T15 | Ben Crenshaw | +3 | $6,630 | $9,544 £5,460 |
| T15 | Ray Floyd | +3 | $6,630 | $9,544 £5,460 |
| T15 | Curtis Strange | +3 | $6,630 | $9,544 £5,460 |
| T15 | Denis Watson | +3 | $6,630 | $9,544 £5,460 |
| 19 | Ken Brown | +4 | $4,930 | $7,097 +44% £4,060 |
| T20 | Isao Aoki | +5 | $4,250 | $6,118 £3,500 |
| T20 | Tōru Nakamura | +5 | $4,250 | $6,118 £3,500 |
| T22 | José María Cañizares | +6 | $3,740 | $5,384 £3,080 |
| T22 | Johnny Miller | +6 | $3,740 | $5,384 £3,080 |
| T22 | Bill Rogers | +6 | $3,740 | $5,384 £3,080 |
| T25 | Bernard Gallacher | +7 | $3,315 | $4,772 £2,730 |
| T25 | Graham Marsh | +7 | $3,315 | $4,772 £2,730 |
| T27 | David Graham | +8 | $2,720 | $3,916 £2,240 |
| T27 | Jay Haas | +8 | $2,720 | $3,916 £2,240 |
| T27 | Greg Norman | +8 | $2,720 | $3,916 £2,240 |
| T27 | Arnold Palmer | +8 | $2,720 | $3,916 £2,240 |
| T27 | Lee Trevino | +8 | $2,720 | $3,916 £2,240 |
| T32 | Mike Miller | +9 | $3,040 | $2,937 £1,680 |
| T32 | Larry Nelson | +9 | $3,040 | $2,937 £1,680 |
| T32 | Mark Thomas | +9 | $3,040 | $2,937 £1,680 |
| T35 | Brian Barnes | +10 | $1,417 | $2,038 £1,166 |
| T35 | Eamonn Darcy | +10 | $1,417 | $2,038 £1,166 |
| T35 | Jack Ferenz | +10 | $1,417 | $2,038 £1,166 |
| T35 | David A. Russell | +10 | $1,417 | $2,038 £1,166 |
| T35 | Craig Stadler | +10 | $1,417 | $2,038 £1,166 |
| T35 | Paul Way | +10 | $1,417 | $2,038 £1,166 |
| 41 | Harold Henning | +11 | $1,105 | $1,591 +44% £910 |
| T42 | Neil Coles | +12 | $1,105 | $1,591 £910 |
| T42 | Terry Gale | +12 | $1,105 | $1,591 £910 |
| T42 | Malcolm Lewis Amateur | +12 | $1,105 | Not known |
| T42 | Gary Player | +12 | $1,105 | $1,591 £910 |
| T42 | Bob Shearer | +12 | $1,105 | $1,591 £910 |
| T47 | Tienie Britz | +13 | $1,105 | $1,591 £910 |
| T47 | Roger Chapman | +13 | $1,105 | $1,591 £910 |
| T47 | Bill Longmuir | +13 | $1,105 | $1,591 £910 |
| T47 | Brian Waites | +13 | $1,105 | $1,591 £910 |
| T51 | Mark James | +14 | $1,105 | $1,509 £863 |
| T51 | Manuel Piñero | +14 | $1,105 | $1,509 £863 |
| T51 | Hsu Sheng-san | +14 | $1,105 | $1,509 £863 |
| T54 | Mark McNulty | +15 | $1,020 | $1,468 £840 |
| T54 | Martin Poxon | +15 | $1,020 | $1,468 £840 |
| T54 | Peter Townsend | +15 | $1,020 | $1,468 £840 |
| T54 | Keith Waters | +15 | $1,020 | $1,468 £840 |
| 58 | Philip Harrison | +16 | $1,020 | $1,468 +44% £840 |
| 59 | Michael King | +17 | $1,020 | $1,468 +44% £840 |
| 60 | Michael Cahill | +18 | $1,020 | $1,468 +44% £840 |
| 2nd CUT | Rex Caldwell | +11 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Peter Dawson | +11 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Jeff Hawkes | +11 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Warren Humphreys | +11 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Tom Weiskopf | +11 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Chip Beck | +12 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | John Bland | +12 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Paul Hoad | +12 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Brian Jones | +12 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Tom Kite | +12 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Joey Rassett | +12 | $979 £560 | |
| 2nd CUT | Hugh Baiocchi | +13 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Jeremy Bennett | +13 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Antonio Garrido | +13 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Tommy Horton | +13 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Gil Morgan | +13 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Vaughan Somers | +13 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Brian Evans | +14 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Hubert Green | +14 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | David Matthew | +14 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Gordon J. Brand | +15 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Simon Owen | +15 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Ian Woosnam | +15 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Tony Johnstone | +16 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Peter Tupling | +17 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Simon Bishop | +18 | $918 £525 | |
| 2nd CUT | Danny Edwards | +22 | $918 £525 | |
| 1st CUT | Bob Charles | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Steve Cipa | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Denny Hepler | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Tony Jacklin | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Mark Johnson | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Brian Marchbank | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Carl Mason | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Andrew Oldcorn Amateur | +9 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Jonathan Plaxton Amateur | +9 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Denis Scanlan | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Ed Sneed | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Hal Sutton | +9 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Peter Berry | +10 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Gordon Brand Jnr | +10 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Mike Ferguson | +10 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Jaime Gonzalez | +10 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Robert Jamieson | +10 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Steve Rooke | +10 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Ian Stanley Amateur | +10 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Andrew Stubbs Amateur | +10 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Martyn Thompson | +10 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Maurice Bembridge | +11 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Pip Elson | +11 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Joe Inman | +11 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Bruce Lietzke | +11 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Jim McAlister | +11 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Christy O'Connor Jnr | +11 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Greg Powers | +11 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Graham Walker | +11 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | John Wilkinson | +11 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Paul Bradley | +12 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Gary Broadbent Amateur | +12 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | David Feherty | +12 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | David Jagger | +12 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Mike McLean | +12 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Magnus Persson Atlevi Amateur | +12 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Andy Rose Amateur | +12 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | John Thomson Amateur | +12 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Manuel Calero | +13 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | John Fowler | +13 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Bill Pelham | +13 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | David Ray Amateur | +13 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Ross Whitehead | +13 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Pete Cowen | +14 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Rodger Davis | +14 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Andrew Murray | +14 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Howard Clark | +15 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Steve Martin | +15 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Per Andersson Amateur | +16 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Denis Durnian | +16 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Hedley Muscroft | +16 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Carlo Knauss | +17 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Keith Lobban | +17 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Ian Young Amateur | +17 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | David Williams | +18 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Jimmy Heggarty | +19 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Michael Higgins Amateur | +19 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Nick Job | +19 | $551 £315 | |
| 1st CUT | Chris Poxon Amateur | +19 | $0 | |
| 1st CUT | Nathaniel Crosby Amateur | $0 | ||
| WD | Garry Hay | +3 | $551 £315 | |
| WD | John O'Leary | +8 | $551 £315 | |
| WD | Jerry Pate | +9 | $551 £315 |
The Open Championship winner's share over time
This year is labeled. Full tournament history →
1982 Open Championship payout FAQ
How much did the winner of the 1982 Open Championship get?
Tom Watson won $55,936 from a $437,000 purse.
What was the 1982 Open Championship purse?
$437,000.
How much did last place get at the 1982 Open Championship?
The smallest check was $551, to Jerry Pate (WD).
How many players made the cut at the 1982 Open Championship?
60 players made the cut and finished, and 87 players missed it.