The Open prize money at a glance
This page covers 94 editions of The Open, 1934–2026. Its purse went from $2,520 in 1934 to $17,750,000 in 2026, 7,044 times as much, or 284 times after inflation. In 2026 the winner took 18% of the purse: $3,200,000. The lowest winning score on record is -20, by Henrik Stenson in 2016. Players who have won it more than once: Tom Watson (7), Peter Thomson (5), Bobby Locke (4), Seve Ballesteros (4). Ernie Els has earned the most here: $5,906,012 from 34 starts and 2 wins.
The Open purse by year
What 10th place paid at The Open
A strong finish that isn't a win, year by year.
Who has earned the most at The Open
The Open champions and purses
Multiple winners: Tom Watson (7), Peter Thomson (5), Bobby Locke (4), Seve Ballesteros (4), Greg Norman (4), Henry Cotton (3), Gary Player (3), Jack Nicklaus (3), Nick Faldo (3), Tiger Woods (3), Arnold Palmer (2), Lee Trevino (2), Bill Rogers (2), Nick Price (2), Mark Calcavecchia (2), Ernie Els (2), Padraig Harrington (2).
| Year | Champion | To par | Purse | Winner's share | In 2026 dollars | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ryan Fox | -10 | $17,750,000 | $3,200,000 | $3,200,000 | 2026 |
| 2025 | Scottie Scheffler | -17 | $17,000,000 | $3,100,000 | $3,199,175 | 2025 |
| 2024 | Xander Schauffele | -9 | $17,000,000 | $3,100,000 | $3,283,355 | 2024 |
| 2023 | Brian Harman | -13 | $16,500,000 | $3,000,000 | $3,271,160 | 2023 |
| 2022 | Cameron Smith | -20 | $14,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $2,838,177 | 2022 |
| 2021 | Collin Morikawa | -15 | $11,500,000 | $2,070,000 | $2,538,077 | 2021 |
| 2019 | Shane Lowry | -15 | $10,750,000 | $1,935,000 | $2,514,652 | 2019 |
| 2018 | Francesco Molinari | -8 | $10,800,000 | $1,890,000 | $2,500,682 | 2018 |
| 2017 | Jordan Spieth | -12 | $10,250,000 | $1,845,000 | $2,500,769 | 2017 |
| 2016 | Henrik Stenson | -20 | $9,300,000 | $1,549,590 | $2,145,102 | 2016 |
| 2015 | Zach Johnson | -15 | $9,200,000 | $1,794,690 | $2,515,737 | 2015 |
| 2014 | Rory McIlroy | -17 | $9,200,000 | $1,665,788 | $2,337,816 | 2014 |
| 2013 | Phil Mickelson | -3 | $8,000,000 | $1,442,826 | $2,057,753 | 2013 |
| 2012 | Ernie Els | -7 | $8,000,000 | $1,405,890 | $2,034,446 | 2012 |
| 2011 | Darren Clarke | -5 | $7,300,000 | $1,452,078 | $2,144,767 | 2011 |
| 2010 | Louis Oosthuizen | -16 | $7,000,000 | $1,305,593 | $1,989,281 | 2010 |
| 2009 | Stewart Cink | -2 | $8,600,000 | $1,221,005 | $1,890,909 | 2009 |
| 2008 | Padraig Harrington | +3 | $8,600,000 | $1,498,875 | $2,312,979 | 2008 |
| 2007 | Padraig Harrington | -7 | $8,637,720 | $1,542,450 | $2,471,600 | 2007 |
| 2006 | Tiger Woods | -18 | $6,750,000 | $1,338,480 | $2,205,944 | 2006 |
| 2005 | Tiger Woods | -14 | $6,754,555 | $1,261,584 | $2,146,287 | 2005 |
| 2004 | Todd Hamilton | -10 | $7,154,642 | $1,348,272 | $2,371,587 | 2004 |
| 2003 | Ben Curtis | -1 | $5,883,110 | $1,112,720 | $2,009,656 | 2003 |
| 2002 | Ernie Els | -6 | $5,878,344 | $1,106,140 | $2,043,123 | 2002 |
| 2001 | David Duval | -10 | $4,497,864 | $858,300 | $1,610,488 | 2001 |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods | -19 | $2,800,000 | $759,150 | $1,464,703 | 2000 |
| 1999 | Paul Lawrie | +6 | $2,000,000 | $546,805 | $1,090,631 | 1999 |
| 1998 | Mark O'Meara | E | $1,700,000 | $493,500 | $1,005,849 | 1998 |
| 1997 | Justin Leonard | -12 | $1,600,000 | $418,875 | $867,001 | 1997 |
| 1996 | Tom Lehman | -13 | $1,500,000 | $310,000 | $656,648 | 1996 |
| 1995 | John Daly | -6 | $1,250,000 | $199,375 | $434,699 | 1995 |
| 1994 | Nick Price | -12 | $1,531,900 | $168,509 | $377,709 | 1994 |
| 1994 | Nick Price | -12 | $1,200,000 | $178,200 | $399,431 | 1994 |
| 1993 | Greg Norman | -13 | $1,501,600 | $150,160 | $345,356 | 1993 |
| 1993 | Greg Norman | -13 | $1,400,000 | $154,000 | $354,188 | 1993 |
| 1992 | Nick Faldo | -12 | $1,766,300 | $167,798 | $397,313 | 1992 |
| 1991 | Ian Baker-Finch | -8 | $1,590,660 | $159,066 | $388,045 | 1991 |
| 1990 | Nick Faldo | -18 | $892,050 | $151,648 | $385,616 | 1990 |
| 1989 | Mark Calcavecchia | -13 | $1,187,695 | $131,056 | $351,243 | 1989 |
| 1989 | Mark Calcavecchia | -13 | $700,000 | $128,000 | $343,052 | 1989 |
| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros | -11 | $890,650 | $142,504 | $400,360 | 1988 |
| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros | $700,000 | $136,000 | $382,087 | 1988 | |
| 1987 | Nick Faldo | -5 | $1,065,870 | $122,985 | $359,611 | 1987 |
| 1986 | Greg Norman | E | $880,620 | $102,739 | $311,420 | 1986 |
| 1986 | Greg Norman | E | $500,000 | $105,000 | $318,274 | 1986 |
| 1985 | Sandy Lyle | +2 | $687,622 | $84,331 | $260,474 | 1985 |
| 1984 | Seve Ballesteros | -12 | $568,140 | $73,524 | $235,146 | 1984 |
| 1983 | Tom Watson | -9 | $606,360 | $60,636 | $202,268 | 1983 |
| 1982 | Tom Watson | -4 | $437,000 | $55,936 | $192,584 | 1982 |
| 1982 | Tom Watson | E | $300,000 | $54,400 | $187,295 | 1982 |
| 1981 | Bill Rogers | -4 | $400,000 | $50,000 | $182,701 | 1981 |
| 1981 | Bill Rogers | -4 | $404,860 | $50,608 | $184,923 | 1981 |
| 1980 | Tom Watson | -13 | $464,920 | $58,115 | $234,300 | 1980 |
| 1980 | Tom Watson | -13 | $250,000 | $60,000 | $241,900 | 1980 |
| 1979 | Seve Ballesteros | -1 | $328,972 | $31,836 | $145,743 | 1979 |
| 1978 | Jack Nicklaus | -7 | $239,800 | $23,980 | $122,134 | 1978 |
| 1977 | Tom Watson | -12 | $174,490 | $17,449 | $95,652 | 1977 |
| 1976 | Johnny Miller | -9 | $135,360 | $13,536 | $79,026 | 1976 |
| 1975 | Tom Watson | -9 | $166,627 | $16,663 | $102,871 | 1975 |
| 1974 | Gary Player | -2 | $117,015 | $12,872 | $86,732 | 1974 |
| 1973 | Tom Weiskopf | -12 | $122,625 | $13,489 | $100,937 | 1973 |
| 1972 | Lee Trevino | -6 | $125,170 | $13,769 | $109,398 | 1972 |
| 1971 | Lee Trevino | -14 | $109,989 | $13,443 | $110,303 | 1971 |
| 1970 | Jack Nicklaus | -5 | $96,000 | $12,600 | $107,824 | 1970 |
| 1969 | Tony Jacklin | -4 | $72,000 | $10,200 | $92,382 | 1969 |
| 1968 | Gary Player | +1 | $48,000 | $7,200 | $68,773 | 1968 |
| 1967 | Roberto De Vicenzo | -10 | $41,250 | $5,775 | $57,518 | 1967 |
| 1966 | Jack Nicklaus | -2 | $42,000 | $5,880 | $60,188 | 1966 |
| 1965 | Peter Thomson | -7 | $28,000 | $4,900 | $51,669 | 1965 |
| 1964 | Tony Lema | -9 | $23,800 | $4,200 | $44,989 | 1964 |
| 1963 | Bob Charles | -3 | $23,800 | $4,200 | $45,565 | 1963 |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer | -12 | $23,800 | $3,920 | $43,054 | 1962 |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer | -4 | $23,800 | $3,920 | $43,570 | 1961 |
| 1960 | Kel Nagle | -14 | $19,600 | $3,500 | $39,319 | 1960 |
| 1959 | Gary Player | -4 | $14,000 | $2,800 | $31,914 | 1959 |
| 1958 | Peter Thomson | -6 | $13,580 | $2,800 | $32,236 | 1958 |
| 1957 | Bobby Locke | -9 | $10,500 | $2,800 | $33,116 | 1957 |
| 1956 | Peter Thomson | +2 | $10,500 | $2,800 | $34,222 | 1956 |
| 1955 | Peter Thomson | -7 | $10,500 | $2,800 | $34,744 | 1955 |
| 1954 | Peter Thomson | -9 | $9,800 | $2,100 | $25,985 | 1954 |
| 1953 | Ben Hogan | -6 | $7,000 | $1,400 | $17,378 | 1953 |
| 1952 | Bobby Locke | -1 | $4,760 | $840 | $10,512 | 1952 |
| 1951 | Max Faulkner | -3 | $4,760 | $840 | $10,751 | 1951 |
| 1950 | Bobby Locke | -1 | $4,200 | $840 | $11,596 | 1950 |
| 1949 | Bobby Locke | -5 | $5,535 | $1,107 | $15,448 | 1949 |
| 1948 | Henry Cotton | E | $4,030 | $604 | $8,347 | 1948 |
| 1947 | Fred Daly | +21 | $4,030 | $604 | $8,989 | 1947 |
| 1946 | Sam Snead | -2 | $4,030 | $604 | $10,282 | 1946 |
| 1939 | Dick Burton | -2 | $2,215 | $443 | $10,582 | 1939 |
| 1938 | Reg Whitcombe | +15 | $2,445 | $489 | $11,529 | 1938 |
| 1937 | Henry Cotton | +2 | $2,470 | $494 | $11,411 | 1937 |
| 1936 | Alf Padgham | -9 | $2,485 | $497 | $11,908 | 1936 |
| 1935 | Alf Perry | -5 | $2,450 | $490 | $11,861 | 1935 |
| 1934 | Henry Cotton | $2,520 | $504 | $12,512 | 1934 |
The Open prize money FAQ
How much does the winner of The Open get?
In 2026 the winner received $3,200,000 from a $17,750,000 purse.
What was the first The Open winner's share worth in today's dollars?
$504 in 1934 is about $12,512 in 2026 dollars.
What is the biggest The Open payout ever?
$3,200,000 to Ryan Fox in 2026.
Who has won The Open the most?
Tom Watson, with 7 wins between 1934 and 2026.