The Open Championship purse this year is a record $17.75 million, with the winner collecting $3.2 million.
When winner Scottie Scheffler earned $3.1 million last year, he solidified his hold on the PGA Tour money title, which he went on to win for the fourth year in a row.
Scheffler can do the same thing this week at the Open, which begins July 16 at Royal Birkdale. With $15,124,574, he has a lead of more than $1.375 million over No. 2 Matt Fitzpatrick. However, if Scheffler misses the cut, Fitzpatrick can jump him for first place with either a victory or solo second ($1,830,000).
Third-place Cameron Young can’t catch Scheffler with a victory but he can make it interesting. And the lucrative major championship purse can really shake up the spots from No. 4 Wyndham Clark throughout the top 10. Clark has earned $9,876,186 and the winner’s check puts all players through No. 10 Si Woo Kim within range of moving into the top five with a victory.
The top three places in the Open, pay out $1 million or more. A solo fourth is $917,000, fifth is $738,000 and sixth is $639,000.
The top 34 players this year will all earn $100,000 or more.
PGA Tour money leaders
Through Scottish Open, ISCO Championship
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Open Championship purse should reshape the PGA Tour money list
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
