Royal Birkdale’s Open 2026 will hand out $17.75 million. Winners take home upwards of $3.2 million, a rise from $2.5 million last year. Players who miss the cut after round one still pocket $133,500 each. The sharp lift is because the competition bosses raised all prize tiers. Only the top 72 finishers split the cash. The organisers included these figures in their official media packs.