The winner of the 150th Open Championship next week will receive a record first prize of 2.5 million dollars (about N1.5 billion), the golf tournament’s organisers announced on Friday.
The total prize fund at St Andrews has also increased by 22 per cent to $14 million (about N8.4 billion).
In an apparent reference to the vast sums of money on offer in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series and increases in prize funds at the other majors, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said: “There have been significant changes in prize money over the last year.
“We have therefore increased the prize fund by 22 per cent which means that the prize money has increased by more than 60 per cent since 2016.
“We have made this substantial investment while balancing our wider commitments to developing golf at all levels around the world and to continuing to elevate the AIG Women’s Open.”
dpa
