Golf

2024 Open Championship: History, Prize Money and Schedule of the Season’s Final Golf Major

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Jul 15, 2024 / 8640 Views

Evan Walker

The 152nd Open Championship, scheduled at Royal Troon, will pit professional golf’s finest in the summer’s final Major from July 18 to 21, 2024 — read on to find out more about its storied history, venue, schedule, prize money, key players and more.

The season’s first three Majors have already scripted a lot of drama and History; now the iconic Scottish links course will put an all-star field to test.

The Open, contested on Scotland’s west coast near the Firth of Clyde, is the year’s fourth Major after the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship and US Open.

For the first time since 2016, the R&A (Royal and Ancient Club of St Andrews), one of the governing authorities, will play host on this ancient Scottish course.

Sometimes referred as the British Open or, more commonly, The Open is the oldest Golf tournament in the world. The 152nd edition will be contested on the 7,385-yard par-71 rugged links course, and the winner will take home the coveted Claret Jug, often considered the coolest trophy in Golf. Along with it comes “The Champion Golfer of the Year,” the highly esteemed title bestowed upon the tournament’s winner.

The winner of the Open Championship will take home the coveted Claret Jug, often considered the coolest trophy in golf. (Image: The Open Championship/ Instagram)

As Brian Harman of the US gets set to defend the title he won at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course last year, here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Open Championship, including its fascinating past, significance, prize purse, schedule, a recap of last year’s action, and the awesome field.

2024 Open Championship: Background, prize money, schedule, players and more

History and significance of the Open Championship

The first Open Championship took place at the Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland on October 17, 1860. Willie Park Sr, won the inaugural tournament after eight professionals finished three rounds on the 12-hole course in a single day. The winner was presented with a Challenge Belt worth GBP 25. The tournament was thrown open to all in 1861, and in 1863 a purse of GBP 10 was introduced for professionals finishing second, third, and fourth.

In 1864, a first-place cash prize of GBP 6 was added. Tom Morris, Jr won the Open for the third time in 1870, allowing him to keep the Challenge Belt permanently. In 1872, the Open champion was awarded the Claret Jug for the first time.

The mid-20th century saw golf gaining popularity and led to several legendary names becoming Open champions, like England’s Sir Henry Cotton, South Africa’s Bobby Locke, Australia’s Peter Thomson, and the US’s Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson. Watson’s final win in 1983 ended an era of US dominance, with American golfers winning 12 times in 14 years.

2024 the open championship — Tom Watson at the 106th Open Championship in 1977. (Image: Don Morley/ Getty Images Europe/ Getty Images)

In 1995, the PGA Tour added the Open to its schedule, and American John Daly won a play-off over Italian Costantino Rocca to usher in a new era of American supremacy at the Open. The United States produced 10 of the next 13 champions, including three-time winner Tiger Woods (2000, 2005, 2006).

Prize purse

The increasingly large prize money awarded at golf’s oldest championship over the years is one of the most striking demonstrations of the Open’s incredible growth. In 2023, a total of USD 16.5 million was shared among the participants. The winner, Harman, took home the Claret Jug, the title of Champion Golfer of the Year, and the biggest winner’s cheque in Open history of USD 3 million.

This year’s prize purse hasn’t been revealed yet, but it will be no surprise if there is a hike from last year’s USD 16.5 million.

Legacy of Royal Troon

Crowned with a rich history woven into the fabric of golf, Royal Troon is renowned for its fierce winds, challenging pot bunkers, and some iconic holes.

The Open has alternated between venues since 1872, and only 10 of the 14 courses that were formerly on the Open rota are currently used. Royal Troon hosted the tournament for the first time in 1923, and is continuing its legacy on Scotland’s west coast.

The last time it hosted an Open was in 2016 when Henrik Stenson defeated Phil Mickelson in a dramatic final round battle.

With its return in 2024, Royal Troon will host the championship for the 10th time.

The course’s conventional out-and-back layout provides distinct challenges on each nine. The opening nine is often played downwind and offers lots of birdie possibilities, while getting back to the clubhouse is far more demanding.

Here are some of the notable holes and features of Royal Troon.

Hole 8—Postage Stamp—123 yards, Par 3

The ‘Postage Stamp’ is one of the most revered holes in Major golf, both celebrated and dreaded at the same time. At only 123 yards, it is the shortest hole on the Open rota, yet it is the one that generates the most excitement. The idea is, in fact, fairly simple — discover the green or face the music.

Hole 11—The Railway—498 yards, Par 4

The 11th hole is also widely regarded one of the most challenging in Major championships. As its name suggests, the Glasgow-Ayr railway borders this par-4 on the right. There’s a stratum of unbroken gorse along the left. Throw in the dominant wind, and anything that falls short of bogey or better seems like a Claret Jug glory.

Hole 6—Turnberry—623 yards, Par 5

This hole, named for the distant Turnberry Point, is the longest in Open Championship history and ranks among the longest in the world. Expanded by 22 yards for the 152nd Open, it will be the longest hole ever played in the history of the championship.

2024 Open Championship schedule

The 152nd Open Championship will be played from July 18 to 21, 2024.

2024 open championship history schedule prize money — The 152nd Open Championship will take place at Royal Troon. (Image: The Open Championship/ Instagram)

• Thursday, July 18: Round 1 starts at 06:35 am BST/ 1:35 pm HKT.
• Friday, July 19: Round 2 starts at 06:35 am BST/ 1:35 pm HKT.
• Saturday, July 20: Round 3 starts at 08:00 am BST/3:00 pm HKT.
• Sunday, July 21: Round 4 starts at 08:00 am BST/3:00 pm HKT, followed by a trophy presentation.
• In case of a tie for first place, a four-hole aggregate score play-off will be held, followed by sudden death extra holes as required.

Recap of 2023 Open

The Royal Liverpool Golf Club hosted its 13th Open with Australia’s Cameron Smith coming in as defending champion.

The first round saw 156 golfers tee off and there was a three-way tie for the lead at 5-under-par. Amateur Christo Lamprecht led the way alongside England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo.

The world’s attention was primarily on Rory McIlroy, who won the Open in 2014, his last Major victory, and finished the round at even par, tied for 32nd.

The following round, Harman struck an impeccable 65 to take a five-shot lead and move to 10-under par, while Cam Smith fell well behind at 2-over.

Harman continued to impress in the third round, shooting a 2-under 69 for a five-shot lead over Young heading into the final round. At 13-under, Harman made History that Sunday by claiming the 2023 Open Championship for his maiden Major win and first title on the PGA Tour since the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship.

Undoubtedly the top player that week with a solid game that suited the Royal Liverpool, Harman was six strokes clear of Joohyung Kim, Sepp Straka, Jason Day, and Jon Rahm.

The Royal Liverpool anyway was a stern test of skill and mental tenacity, and rain deteriorated the conditions further, but Harman beat the big names and bad weather to become the oldest first-time Major champion at 36.

Field and key players to watch out for

The 2024 Open Championship is mere days away, and the 156-man field — it could go up to 159 as per the R&A — will have the best professional golfers. A handful of the world’s best amateurs will be in action too after invites and qualification, making it an intriguing contest over four days.

The Open at Royal Troon will feature stars from the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf, as well as Open champions from previous years.

Tiger Woods, a three-time Open winner, is set to return after withdrawing last year due to ankle surgery. The final Open Final Qualifier filled 16 spots with Justin Rose winning his berth and Sergio Garcia and India’s Anirban Lahiri among those missing out.

Some of the big names in the field include Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Louis Oosthuizen, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Bryson Dechambeau, Phil Mickelson, Rory Mcllroy, and Ludvig Aberg.

Seen as the crowning glory of pro golf, the Open pits the greatest players against the elements of nature. For the players, the links course battle is unique and represents the pinnacle of fierce competition.

(Main and featured images: The Open Championship/ Instagram)