British Open champion at Troon to receive more money

(Reuters) – The winner of this year’s British Open golf championship at Scotland’s Royal Troon course will take home 1,175,000 pounds ($1.54 million), a rise of 25,000 pounds on 2015, the Royal & Ancient (R&A) confirmed on Tuesday.

The runner-up will receive 675,000 pounds and the third-placed player 433,000, down to 15,000 for 70th.

Total prize money for the Open, which starts on Sunday, will be 6.5 million pounds, an increase of 200,000. Last year’s champion, Zach Johnson, received 1.15 million pounds when he won the event at St Andrews.

“The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and it is important that this is reflected in the prize fund,” said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A. “We want to continue to attract the world’s best golfers to compete in the Championship each year and to enhance its global appeal.”

(Reporting by Neil Robinson in London; Editing by Clare Fallon)