Now that the Open Championship has come to an end, there has been a lot of buzz around the historic prize money offered to its winner: Zach Johnson. The wind may have temporarily delayed play during the tournament, but that didn’t stop Johnson from going on to win having beat Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman after the three were tied on 15-under-par in a four-hole play-off. Speaking to the press after winning the tournament, Johnson said: “I feel blessed to be the champion. I feel honoured to be part of the history of this game. Humbling and surreal are two words that come to my mind.”
How much does the winner take home?
This is the question everybody wants the answer to. The Telegraph reported that the top three players will bring home £420,000 (for finishing third), £653,000 (for second) with the winner getting a staggering £1.15m. Prior to the start of the tournament, the Royal & Ancient announced that this year’s prize fund would offer a whopping £6.3 million to players: the largest fund in the tournament’s history. It’s worth remembering, after all, that last year’s winner Rory McIlroy took home £975,000.
Fans also had the option of gaining some winnings
Of course we can’t all be professional golf players, and given that if an amateur were to win the Open the prize money would be shared amongst the professionals who had made it that far, it is easy to see why fans take a keen interest in betting on their favourites. With Coral offering the latest updates on the state of play as well as a range of events for golf fans to choose from, putting a bet on your favourite golfer to win the Open offered knowledgeable fans a chance to make some money on the side.
The prize hasn’t always been cash or trophies, though…
The Open Championship or The Open as many people call it, at 155 years old is the oldest of the four major golf championships for professionals. Following The Masters and U.S Open, it is the third major of the year before the PGA Championship. It began way back in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland with the original prize being the Challenge Belt: a red leather belt with a silver buckle. It wasn’t long, however, until the present trophy was created: the Golf Champion Trophy or Claret Jug as it is better known. Of course, I think when faced with the options of a trophy or a belt we all know what we would rather take home!
