Golfers competing in this summer’s Women’s Open championship will battle for an unprecedented $10 million prize pool as the tournament celebrates its golden anniversary, officials from The R&A revealed Tuesday.
The prize money represents a $250,000 boost from the previous year’s total, continuing an upward trajectory that has defined the major championship in recent seasons.
R&A CEO Mark Darbon emphasized the organization’s dedication to growth, stating: “This is the sixth consecutive year that the AIG Women’s Open prize fund has been increased. These consistent and sustainable investments in the prize fund clearly demonstrate The R&A and AIG’s commitment to elevating the Championship on the global stage.”
The tournament’s financial evolution tells a remarkable story since its debut in 1976, when competitors vied for a modest 500 euro total purse. Prize money has climbed dramatically, especially during the last twenty years.
When Sunningdale hosted the championship in 2008 — the same venue selected for the 2028 tournament as announced Tuesday — players competed for $2.1 million total.
A decade later, during the most recent Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in England — this year’s host course for the July 29 through August 2 competition — the total prize fund reached only $3.25 million. The current $10 million purse represents a threefold increase from that 2018 amount.
The championship now joins two other LPGA major tournaments offering eight-figure prize pools, though it trails the U.S. Women’s Open and Women’s PGA Championship, which each feature $12 million in total prizes.
The recent Chevron Championship nearly reached the $10 million threshold this past weekend, with organizers boosting the purse by $1 million to a record $9 million just two days before play began. Nelly Korda captured the winner’s check of $1.35 million.
Television coverage will also expand significantly, with 34 hours of programming scheduled across the four-day event.
AIG chairman and CEO Peter Zaffino highlighted the company’s broader mission Tuesday, saying: “The AIG Women’s Open reflects our commitment to advancing women in business, sports and society, which is core to AIG’s values. In partnership with The R&A, we are making important strides in elevating the women’s game by continuing to increase the Championship purse and extending live broadcast coverage that will reach an even wider global audience of fans.”
