5 perks of winning the 2024 Open Championship major

The Open Championship is the oldest golf major championship, and every golfer dreams of winning this prestigious event at least once. This year, the 152nd edition of this major just came to its conclusion at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland, with Xander Schauffele winning the title.

Apart from being in the history books for winning the oldest golf major, triumphing at The Open comes with plenty of benefits. So here are the five perks of winning The Open Championship.

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Five perks of winning the 2024 Open Championship

1. Claret Jug

Claret Jug at the Royal Troon for the 152nd Open (Image via Getty)

The Claret Jug is the oldest and probably the most prestigious trophy in golf. The history and tradition associated with this trophy are immense. It was awarded for the first time in 1873. The winner will have the chance to keep the real trophy for an entire year, and they will receive a replica the following year.

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2. Prize Money

PGA: The Open Second Round (Image via Imagn)

The Prize money for winning The Open Championship varies each year. The R&A increased the prize money purse to $17 million. Hence, the winner will receive the maximum share of the total purse, $3.1 million, at The 152nd Open.

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3. Exemptions

PGA: The Open - First Round (Image via Imagn)

After winning The Open Championship, the player will receive an entry to all future Open Championship events until they turn 55. If the winner is within ten years of turning 55, he will have a spot reserved for him in the next ten Opens.

Winning The Open will give a five-year exemption to the other three majors, The Masters, The PGA Championship, and The US Open. The winner will also receive a five-year membership on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, and a place in the upcoming five editions of The Players Championship.

Once the winner turns 50, he can compete in the three senior Major Championships. The three major events are one year's invitation to the US Senior Open, and a lifetime invitation to the Senior PGA Championship and Senior Open Championship.

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4. Gold Medal

Similar to the Olympics the winner of the Open receives a gold medal (Image via Imagn)

The winner of The Open used to receive a Challenge Belt. But this was given permanently to Tom Morris for winning the tournament on three consecutive occasions. The R&A replaced the Challenge Belt with a gold medal, and the winner receives it every year with the course name, winner's name, and the score engraved.

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5. FedExCup and OWGR points

The Champion golfer of the year will receive 750 FedExCup points (Image via Getty)

This year's winner of The Open will receive 750 FedExCup points, which is a huge boost for golfers going into the season-ending FedExCup Playoffs. In the OWGR, the winner will receive 100 points, improving the world ranking of golfers immensely.