The Open Championship is almost here. The world’s best are ready to take on Royal Birkdale – as the course hosts a major championship for the first time since Jordan Spieth’s famous win in 2017.
American Scottie Scheffler will be the defending champion, after he was the victor at the 153rd Open Championship, held at Royal Portrush last year. The World No.1 will seek to become the first player since Padraig Harrington in 2008 to successfully defend the Claret Jug.
Not only did the US star have his name etched both into history and on the famous Claret Jug, but he also benefited from a lot of other bonuses.
So let’s take a look at some of the best British Open exemptions and perks.
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The best British Open exemptions and perks
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 who 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’.
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Prize Money
It isn’t just ranking 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 $17 million, with winner Scheffler taking home $3,100,000 of that. While the prize fund remained the same between the 152nd and 153rd Open Championship, the total purse for this year’s major at Royal Birkdale has not yet been announced.
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Rankings Points & Ryder Cup Points
Along with a nice pay cheque, the winner of The Open Championship also receives a hefty boost in 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.
Open Championship Exemptions
So, there is both prize money and ranking 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 Birkdale in July will receive a guaranteed spot in all future Open Championships until they are 55 years of age.
The winner 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 is the best of these British Open exemptions? Let us know with a tweet.
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