Cracking the Code: Unraveling the 2026 Open Championship Money Puzzle

One Membership. Four Times the Value.

Someone will win the Claret Jug come Sunday at Royal Birkdale.

Just one day remains at the 2026 Open Championship, and all eyes will again be on Sam Burns.

Burns begins the day with a two-shot lead as he seeks his first-ever major championship. It’s also his latest chance to shed the Best Player Without a Major title, a moniker he essentially shares with Cameron Young and Tommy Fleetwood, two players who also have a chance come Sunday at Royal Birkdale.

Through 54 holes, the 29-year-old Burns is 10 under and leads Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim, who are both eight under. Other stars, like Ludvig Aberg, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau are still lurking too. (You can view the complete leaderboard here.)

It’s Burns’ sixth 54-hole lead or co-lead on the PGA Tour, and he’s converted 1 of the 5 into a title. It’s also his second 54-hole major lead. He led the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont before tying for 7th. Last month, he finished second at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

The winner of the Open Championship, the final men’s major of the year, will receive $3.2 million of the $17.75 million total purse. The Masters and U.S. Open both offered $4.5 million winner’s checks this year, and Aaron Rai won $3.69 million at the PGA Championship.

You can view the entire payout breakdown for the 2026 Open Championship below.

1st: $3.2 million2nd: $1.842 million3rd: $1.181 million4th: $917,0005th: $738,0006th: $639,7007th: $549,7008th: $463,2509th: $406,20010th: $367,00011th: $334,20012th: $296,00013th: $278,50014th: $260,70015th: $241,90016th: $222,70017th: $212,00018th: $202,00019th: $193,60020th: $184,50021st: $175,90022nd: $167,10023rd: $158,10024th: $149,30025th: $144,25026th: $138,00027th: $133,00028th: $128,40029th: $122,80030th: $116,50031st: $112,70032nd: $106,90033rd: $103,10034th: $100,20035th: $96,70036th: $92,90037th: $88,50038th: $84,10039th: $81,00040th: $78,40041st: $75,20042nd: $71,50043rd: $68,30044th: $64,40045th: $60,70046th: $57,60047th: $55,30048th: $53,10049th: $50,70050th: $49,40051st: $48,35052nd: $47,50053rd: $46,80054th: $46,10055th: $45,30056th: $44,70057th: $44,25058th: $43,95059th: $43,62560th: $43,32561st: $43,10062nd: $42,90063rd: $42,70064th: $42,50065th: $42,15066th: $41,82567th: $41,50068th: $41,20069th: $40,90070th: $40,70071st: $40,57572nd: $40,45073rd: $40,32574th: $40,20075th: $40,07576th: $39,95077th: $39,82578th: $39,700

As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the sport’s most-read news and service websites. He spends most of his days writing, editing, planning and wondering if he’ll ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two kids. You can reach him at [email protected].

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