Golf’s greatest hit the historic Old Course for a piece of $14 million in Open Championship prize money. Let’s look at what’s on the line and who’s primed to secure the bag in Scotland.
Welcome to the 150th Open Championship — you may know it unofficially as the British Open — where golf’s best are teeing off on the Old Course at St. Andrews for a shot at some serious cash and a chance to capture the Claret Jug.
It’s the world’s oldest and most prestigious major golf tournament, and it’s all happening in Scotland’s historic county of Fife at the “home of golf.”
Not only are record crowds expected to show up to the legendary Old Course, but a massive field featuring 156 golfers is in the mix, each of them aiming to make the cut for a shot at the spotlight come Sunday.
We’ve got defending champion Collin Morikawa ready to run it back, Rory Mcllroy primed to make noise as the betting favorite, and Great Britain’s own Matt Fitzpatrick feeling right at home following a big win at the US Open last month.
There’s also a Tiger loose on the links looking to claim his fourth Open title.
But perhaps most importantly — for the players and the PGA Tour alike — there’s a boatload of money on the line this year, as organizers are attempting to put their money where their mouth is under pressure from the breakaway LIV Golf Invitational Series.
It’s going to be a long and challenging four days in Fife. Let’s have a look at how big of a British Open purse awaits the winner of the fourth and final major of the season.
2022 Open Championship Prize Money
While there’s not as much on the line compared to golf’s other majors — or the LIV tour for that matter — this year’s British Open purse promises a big payday nonetheless.
Not only is the $14 million total prize purse a sizable increase over last year’s event (a 22% bump, to be exact), but it’s also the most in Open history.
Organizers have called the increase in prize money a “substantial investment” that reflects a 60% bump since 2016.
Not only is that a big leap only in the last few years, but it’s quite the cash out considering the winner of the first-ever Open Championship in 1860 earned nothing.
The winner at this year’s event at St. Andrew’s will walk away with a record $2.5 million share of the British Open purse for his victory, as well as a replica of the Golf Champion Trophy, the official name of the Claret Jug.
And despite the sting that surely comes with falling just short of major glory, this year’s runner-up still goes home with more than one million dollars.
Here’s a look at the expected payouts for the top five finishers in Fife:
- First Place: $2,500,000
- Second Place: $1,455,000
- Third Place: $930,000
- Fourth Place: $725,000
- Fifth Place: $580,000
All players who make the cut and finish all four rounds of the tournament are guaranteed a respectable payday. For instance, wrapping things up on Sunday in 70th place still nets a player around $32,200. The precise final payouts, however, are based on how many players make the cut after 36 holes.
Players who fail to make the cut will walk away with between $7,000 and $10,000 in British Open prize money respectively.
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Who’s Winning the Open Championship?
With a giant field of the world’s best golfers, there are easily more than a few guys who could end up winning the grand old tournament.
We’ve got Scottie Scheffler (+1600), Justin Thomas (+2100), and Fitzpatrick (+1800) seeking their second major titles of the year, while players like Jordan Spieth (+1500) and Jon Rahm (+1600) are always in the conversation.
McIlroy is the current betting favorite, sitting at +1000, while last weekend’s Scottish Open champ, Xander Schauffele, is also in the mix at +1400. And don’t sleep on Tiger Woods at +6500.
And let’s not forget — since the PGA Tour doesn’t run the majors, golfers who signed on with LIV Golf can compete as well. This includes Dustin Johnson (+3200), Bryson DeChambeau (+6500), Patrick Reed (+9500), Louis Oosthuizen (+4000), and Phil Mickelson (+21000).
Let’s have a look at the full odds to win the tournament over at FanDuel Sportsbook.
FanDuel 2022 British Open Odds
Numbers reflect final pre-tournament odds to win the 2022 Open Championship at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Rory McIlroy +1000
Xander Schauffele +1300
Jordan Spieth +1500
Jon Rahm +1600
Scottie Scheffler +1600
Matthew Fitzpatrick +1800
Justin Thomas +2000
Shane Lowry +2000
Cameron Smith +2200
Patrick Cantlay +2600
Will Zalatoris +2700
Tommy Fleetwood +2800
Collin Morikawa +2800
Dustin Johnson +3200
Tyrrell Hatton +3400
Joaquin Niemann +3700
Hideki Matsuyama +3700
Louis Oosthuizen +4000
Tony Finau +4000
Brooks Koepka +4200
Sam Burns +4200
Viktor Hovland +4500
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