Martin Slumbers has defended the amount of prize money on offer at The Open this year – saying the R&A has a responsibility to spend its money wisely for the betterment of the entire game.
Slumbers gave his final Open press conference as R&A boss as he’s leaving his role at the end of the year, saying he’s “decided this year to say what I really think” about his concerns over the money in golf and where is should be spent.
Although the winner of the Claret Jug will win an Open record $3.1m first prize for conquering the Ayrshire links, the total prize fund of $17m is up just $500,000 from last year and the lowest of the four Majors.
It’s actually just the 28th most ever been on offer at a Major – and also ranks behind all the PGA Tour Signature Events and LIV Golf tournaments which both offer $20m each time.
Slumbers backed the R&A’s decision to limit prize money, and says it has a responsibility to allocate funds to all levels of golf from recreational and amateur to the Open participants.
“I’ve expressed concern in recent years about financial sustainability in the men’s professional game,” said Slumbers.
“If you look at golf as a pyramid, however strong the pyramid is at the top, it can only be sustained in the long term if the pyramid is equally strong at the base.
“We see that as our responsibility, and that is why we invest all of the proceeds from The Open back into the sport.
“We have to be careful to do that in such a way as to ensure that the recreational game is thriving and that the most talented players have a pathway to the top of the game so the professional game of tomorrow flourishes. We can’t do that if we neglect the base of the pyramid.
“While we will always offer a very competitive prize fund for The Open, our wider focus is on increasing participation and improving pathways in golf. We have to make choices about how we allocate resources and make the resources we have go as far as they can.”
Open ignore Major money arms race
Slumbers says the R&A is aware of the cash being splashed about on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and other Majors, but is happy to stay out of that and focus on his priority of growing the game at every level.
“There’s clearly a market out there. We watch it week in and week out, throughout regular play as well as through the big events,”…
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