SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND - JULY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot on the 18th hole on day one of the The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 16, 2026 in Southport, England. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Getty ImagesPlay has begun at the 154th Open Championship, being played at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. This year the best golfers in the world will be playing for a record purse in the oldest championship in golf.The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A), that is the governing body that oversees the Open Championship, announced earlier this week that the purse has been raised this year. The $500,000 increase from 2025 makes this year’s championship a record for player payouts. The total purse will be $17.75 million, with the winner receiving $3.2 million.Although a record purse for the Open Championship, it still remains the lowest purse of professional golf’s major championships. Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A discussed the purse increase on Wednesday at a press conference. He talked about his concerns about the rising purses in golf, as well as other issues he sees in the game. Darbon stated, "We look at prize money as part of a broader package that we offer here at The Open Championship. We've also increased and continued to increase our investment into the player experience, and we're very proud of the fact that we consistently get told by the players that the experience—the facilities, the services, the support—that we offer during Open Championship week sets the benchmark for the rest of golf. We're intent on ensuring that that continues to remain the case.MORE FOR YOU"So prize money is but one component of that comparison. At the same time, we're trying to find a model that gets the balance right. We have a relatively unique model at the R&A. We invest the proceeds that we generate from this Open Championship back into the sport. That's really important for us, and we think we're finding the right balance."As the last major of the season is here, golf’s governing bodies are grappling with the question of what purses may look like going forward with the possibility of LIV Golf being gone after this season. Even if LIV survives in a different form, the Saudi money will be gone, with it the large player payouts and purses that have dramatically changed the amount of money players receive. Time will tell where the money in professional golf goes from here.2026 Open Championship Payout By Position Of FinishBelow is the amount each player will win based on their position of finish in the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.1 $3,200,0002 $1,842,0003 $1,181,0004 $917,0005 $738,0006 $639,7007 $549,7008 $463,2509 $406,20010 $367,00011 $334,20012 $296,00013 $278,50014 $260,70015 $241,90016 $222,70017 $212,00018 $202,00019 $193,60020 $184,50021 $175,90022 $167,10023 $158,10024 $149,30025 $144,25026 $138,00027 $133,00028 $128,40029 $122,80030 $116,50031 $112,70032 $106,90033 $103,10034 $100,20035 $96,70036 $92,90037 $88,50038 $84,10039 $81,00040 $78,40041 $75,20042 $71,50043 $68,30044 $64,40045 $60,70046 $57,60047 $55,30048 $53,10049 $50,70050 $49,40051 $48,35052 $47,50053 $46,80054 $46,10055 $45,30056 $44,70057 $44,25058 $43,95059 $43,62560 $43,32561 $43,10062 $42,90063 $42,70064 $42,50065 $42,15066 $41,82567 $41,50068 $41,20069 $40,90070 $40,700Mike is a founding member of Break80 Golf and a contributing golf and sports writer for Forbes with PGA Tour and LIV Golf media credentials. Mike can be reached at break80podcast@gmail.com for inquiries or story leads.