5 reasons you’d want to win The Open
The Open Championship is almost here. The world’s best are ready to take on Royal Liverpool – as the course hosts a major championship for the first time since Rory McIlroy’s triumph in 2014.
Australia’s Cameron Smith will be the defending champion, after he was the victor at the 150th Open Championship, held on The Old Course at St. Andrews last year.
Not only did the Australian have his name etched both into history and on the famous Claret Jug, but he also benefitted from a lot of other bonuses.
So let’s take a look at some of the Open Championship perks on offer…
5 perks of winning The Open Championship
Claret Jug and Gold Medal
It is arguably the most iconic prize in golf alongside the Green Jacket at The Masters. The winner of The Open Championship gets to take home the coveted Claret Jug.
The Claret Jug, which was first awarded to Tom Kidd in 1873, weighs over five pounds and is more than 90% sterling silver. The winner gets to keep the original Claret Jug for a year before returning it ahead of the next year’s tournament. They then receive a replica to keep after that.
The winner of The Open Championship also receives a Gold Medal, which was first awarded in 1872 as the Claret Jug was not ready for that year’s edition of the competition.
Champion Golfer of the Year
Only one player can be ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’, and that name is given to the player that wins The Open Championship.
It is one of the most prestigious titles in golf, along with being known as a World No.1, and the winner of this year’s event will join the likes of Harry Vardon, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods in being named ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’.
Prize Money
It isn’t just rankings points that set you up for a while. The prize money for winning The Open Championship is a nice bonus for the bank balance.
Last year, the total prize pot was $14 million, with winner Cameron Smith taking home $2.5 million of that. Even runner-up Cameron Young took home more than a million dollars after his week’s work on the east coast of Scotland.
The total prize fund for the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool has not yet been announced.
Rankings Points & Ryder Cup Points
Along with a nice pay cheque, the winner of The Open Championship also receives a hefty boost of rankings points. The four major championships all offer 100 OWGR points, along with adding to the respective winners’ points tally in the season-long lists, the PGA TOUR’s FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai.
This year’s Open Championship could also have a bearing on who will travel to Rome in September, with points on offer for Ryder Cup places as well. The top six players in both the European and US lists will automatically qualify to feature for their respective teams at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club at the end of September.
Exemptions
So, there is both prize money and rankings points on offer for the winner. This year’s Open Championship winner will also receive exemptions into the sport’s biggest tournaments as well.
The winner at Royal Liverpool in July will receive a guaranteed spot in all future Open Championships until they are 60 years of age, and if that is in the near future, then they will be exempt for the next ten Open Championships.
The winner at Hoylake will also receive exemptions for five years to the other three major championships: The Masters, PGA Championship and US Open. They will also receive a lifetime invitation to both the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior Open Championship once they turn 50, along with a one-year invitation to the US Senior Open.
Finally, the winner of this year’s Open Championship will have entry into the next five editions of the Players Championship, held at TPC Sawgrass, along with being a part of the field at the five invitational events on the PGA TOUR: the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Charles Schwab Challenge, the Genesis Invitational, the Memorial Tournament and the RBC Heritage.
What’s the best Open Championship perk? Let us know with a tweet.
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
