Tension builds in St. Andrews as a handful of players could still win the Britsh Open, according to the tournament’s leaderboard. Not only is the Claret Jug, the nickname for the Golf Championship Trophy presented to the winner, up for grabs, but so is a top prize of $1.8 million out of the $9.8 million total.
Well, it may be up for grabs by the winner. Both professionals and amateurs play. According to tournament rules, if an amateur wins, the top prize is split proportionately among all the pros who qualified.
But whether split up or taken by a single player, that’s a lot of money. In fact, that’s about $1.4 million more than last year.
Golf has seen a prize arms race recently. In 2014, the PGA Championship increased its prize money to $10 million. The Masters did the same this year, and $1.8 million went to the winner. Next came the U.S. Open and, now, the British Open.
Golf is a popular sport, both to watch and play. And the demographic is a desirable one for many companies. There are 22.5 million golfers in the U.S., according to American Golf, which owns and operates more than 90 clubs and public courses. The average household income is $95,000 and the average golfer spends $2,776 annually on the game. If there’s money floating around, that’s where advertisers are bound. More advertisers mean more money available to tournaments to attract the best golfers and generate public interest.
Fortune took a look at the top ten tournaments from the golf fan’s view, according to Bleacher Report, and pulled together a list of the prizes they offer.
The Masters
When: April
Total Purse: $9.8 million
Top Prize: $1.8 million
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
When: February
Total Purse: $6.8 million
Top Prize: $1.2 million
U.S. Open
When: June
Total Purse: $10 million
Top Prize: $1.8 million
British Open
When: July
Total Purse: $9.8 million
Top Prize: $1.8 million
The Players Championship
When: May
Total Purse: $10 million
Top Prize: $1.8 million
The Memorial Tournament
When: June
Total Purse: $6.2 million
Top Prize: $1.1 million
Farmers Insurance Open
When: February
Total Purse: $6.3 million
Top Prize: $1.1 million
AT&T National
When: February
Total Purse: $6.8 million
Top Prize: $1.2 million
Hyundai Tournament of Champions
When: January
Total Purse: $5.7 million
Top Prize: $1.1 million
Wells Fargo Championship
When: May
Total Purse: $7.1 million
Top Prize: $1.3 million
