What does the winner of the Major Championship get? We take a look in this piece.
5 Perks Of Winning The Open Championship
The winner’s name is etched into the history books but there are a few more benefits to winning The Open Championship as well.
In this day and age, winners of any pro events, but especially majors, walk away with no shortage of exemptions and prize money. So without further ado, here are some of the perks this week’s champion will receive.
5 Perks Of Winning The Open Championship
1. Claret Jug
First thing to mention is undoubtedly the prestige of winning the oldest Major Championship in golf. That in itself, and the name being etched into history, is a perk.
Adding to that the winner also receives arguably the best trophy in golf too in the Claret Jug. The winner gets to keep it until the next year’s tournament (or, in Shane Lowry’s case, keep for two years due to a global health pandemic). Once the winner returns the original trophy they are given a replica to keep.
Related: Best Trophies In Golf
2. Gold Medal
Tony Jacklin with the Claret Jug and Gold Medal in 1969 (Getty Images)
The Open originally gave a Challenge Belt to its winner, but this was permanently given to Young Tom Morris after he won three consecutive tournaments.
It was replaced by the Gold Medal from 1872, which winners still receive. The Claret Jug was first awarded in 1873.
3. Winner’s cheque
The winner in 2021 will receive a winner’s cheque of over $2m for the very first time.
The 2021 Open Championship will have its largest ever purse with the Champion Golfer of the Year pocketing $2.07m dollars from the $11.5m prize money.
We expect this to continue to be the case in future events.
“We have increased the prize fund for the Open this year and believe that it fully reflects the championship’s stature in world sport,” said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A.
Related: Open Championship TV Coverage 2021
4. Exemptions
The Open winner will also be guaranteed entry to all future Open Championships until the age of 60, and entry to the next ten Opens, even if over the age of 60.
They also gain entry to the next five Masters, US PGA and US Open tournaments, and they also earn membership to both the European Tour and PGA Tour for five years.
Victory also comes with a place in the next playing of the WGC Invitational (now WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational), and WGC-HSBC Champion, the next five years of the The Players Championship and the five invitational tournaments (Genesis Invitational, Fort Worth Invitational (now the Charles Schwab Challenge), Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, and Memorial Tournament) on the PGA Tour.
Lifting the Claret Jug also ensure an automatic invitation to three of the five senior majors once the winner turns 50, with a one-year invitation to the US Senior Open and a lifetime invitation to the Senior PGA Championship and Senior Open Championship.
5. Ranking points
And for the man who conquers Royal St George’s comes a very nice haul of World Ranking and FedEx Cup points.
All major championships offer up 100 OWGR points to the winner, as well as 600 FedEx Cup points in the season-long race.
The winner, if applicable, also receives Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup points which could prove vitally important in 2021 given the event is soon to take place at Whistling Straits this September.
For more Open Championship content, check out the Golf Monthly website.
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