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The winner of the 2024 Open Championship this week at Royal Troon will take home an event record $3.1 million as part of an increased total payout of $17 million, the R&A announced Monday.

Among professional golf’s four majors, The Open Championship carries the lowest total purse and winner’s prize, a reality R&A CEO Martin Slumbers said the organization remains mindful of in a tricky balancing act.

“We remain concerned about the impact substantial increases in men’s professional prize money are having on the perception of the sport and its long-term financial sustainability,” Slumbers said. “We are determined to act with the interests of the global game in mind as we pursue our goal of ensuring golf continues to thrive in 50 years’ time.”

Royal Troon Golf Club is the site of the 152nd Open Championship this week with Brian Harman, the 2023 winner, returning with the Claret Jug. Harman pocketed $3 million of a $16.5 million purse last July.

Slumbers pointed to the legacy of the event as one of the assets working in the R&A’s favor. Recent winners of The Open seem to agree.

Harman said on Monday that he’s enamored with the history and pageantry of The Open Championship to the extent he did a walk through of getting out of his car with the Claret Jug, the famous trophy handed to the winner of the tournament at the end of 72 holes.

“I practiced getting out of the car one time. It is the coolest trophy in all of sports and is deserving of all the pageantry that is involved in it.”

The U.S. Open paid out $4.3 million to Bryson DeChambeau and had a total purse of $21.5 million. The PGA Championship prize pool was $18.5 million, with $3.3 million going to winner Xander Schauffele. And Scottie Scheffler grabbed the $3.6 million and a green jacket at the Masters, where the prize pool hit $20 million.

“The R&A has a responsibility to strike a balance between maintaining The Open’s position in the global game, providing the funds required for governance and developing amateur and recreational golf in 146 countries internationally,” Slumbers said in a statement Monday. “We have to make choices if we want to continue to build on the significant growth in participation that is essential for golf’s future.”

–Field Level Media