As with any Major, there are some significant perks of winning The Open, including prize money of $3.1m in 2024 and exemptions into all four Majors for years to come.
The winner also gets to keep the famous Claret Jug for the year, while the prestige of being named Champion Golfer of the Year, as well as a place in the history books, make the winner’s legacy as a player secure.
It’s not all doom and gloom for those who narrowly miss out on victory at the final Major of the year, though, with some enviable rewards for finishing second. Here are some of the top bonuses a player gets for finishing runner-up at The Open.
Prize Money
The 2024 edition of the Major at Royal Troon offers a record prize money payout of $17m. While the winner claims $3.1m, it’s far from a paltry sum for the player finishing second. This year’s runner-up will claim $1.759m in prize money, which outstrips the payouts handed out to the winner of several PGA Tour events.
Exemptions
Players finishing second guarantee their spot at the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush
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The player finishing second can rest assured that his spot at the following year’s tournament is guaranteed as the top 10 and ties all qualify.
That means there will be no need to fret over variables including world ranking or whether there will be a need to endure the marathon of final qualifying to earn a spot at Royal Portrush in 2025.
It’s not just The Open the runner-up will get to experience next year, either. The top four, including ties, also claim their place at the following year’s Masters.
World Ranking Points
One of the best ways to qualify for any of the four Majors is to attain a high enough world ranking, and finishing runner-up at The Open can go a long way to achieving that aim, with 60 world ranking points on offer to the player finishing second.
That’s not too far short of the points typically awarded for victory at the PGA Tour’s prestigious signature events, although it is admittedly still significantly less than the haul of 100 points awarded to The Open champion.
FedEx Cup Points
Players just missing out on victory receive valuable FedEx Cup points
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One of the biggest incentives for PGA Tour players is to reach the FedEx Cup Playoffs, culminating in the…
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