The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews have announced a record prize fund for the 2001 Open Championship with the winner at Royal Lytham & St. Annes receiving £600,000 - an increase of £100,000 on the cheque that accompanied the Claret Jug which Tiger Woods won last year at St. Andrews.
Total prize money has been increased to £3.3 million with every player who survives the halway cut receiving at least £8,000, underlining the R&A's commitment to offer prize money which reflects The Open's championship status while also being in line with the other three Major Championships.
"In addition to the 20% increase for the winner, we have substantially increased all prize money by amounts up to 33%," said David Hill, Championship Secretary of the R&A. "This now means that while there will be £600,000 for the winner, any player who makes the cut will receive at least £8,000."
An indication of the rapid growth in prize money is shown by what was on offer when Tom Lehman won at Lytham in 1996. He received £200,000 out of a total of £1.4 million and in the five years since then total prize money has more than doubled and the winner's cheque has increased three-fold. When Seve Ballesteros won at Royal Lytham & St Annes 22 years ago his reward was £15,000.
Open Championship
Prize Money Breakdown (£). 2000 Open 2001 Open
.
1 500,000 600,000
2 300,000 360,000
3 190,000 230,000
4 140,000 170,000
5 120,000 145,000
6 100,000 120,000
7 80,000 100,000
8 70,000 85,000
9 60,000 75,000
10 55,000 65,000
11 50,000 60,000
12 45,000 55,000
13 40,000 50,000
14 38,000 45,000
15 36,000 42,500
16 34,000 40,000
17 32,000 38,000
18 30,000 36,000
19 29,000 35,000
20 28,000 34,000
21 27,000 33,000
22 26,000 32,000
23 25,000 31,000
24 24,000 30,000
25 23,000 29,000
26 22,000 28,000
27 21,000 27,000
28 20,000 26,000
29 19,000 25,000
30 18,000 24,000
31 17,500 23,000
32 17,000 22,000
33 16,500 21,000
34 16,000 20,000
35 15,500 19,000
36 15,000 18,000
37 14,500 17,000
38 14,000 16,000
39 13,500 15,500
40 13,000 15,000
41 12,500 14,500
42 12,000 14,000
43 11,500 13,500
44 11,000 13,000
45 10,500 12,500
46 10,000 12,000
47 9,750 11,500
48 9,500 11,000
49 9,250 10,500
50 9,000 10,000
51 8,800 9,800
52 8,600 9,600
53 8,400 9,400
54 8,200 9,200
55 8,000 9,000
56 7,900 8,900
57 7,800 8,800
58 7,700 8,700
59 7,600 8,600
60 7,500 8,500
61 7,450 8,450
62 7,400 8,400
63 7,350 8,350
64 7,300 8,300
65 7,250 8,250
66 7,200 8,200
67 7,150 8,150
68 7,100 8,100
69 7,050 8,050
70 7,000 8,000
