R&A to pay out prize money for the Open in US dollars

The winner of the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale will win $1,845,000 (£1.4m) from a total prize fund of $10.25m (£7.9m), the R&A has announced.

The winner of the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale will win 1,845,000 US dollars (£1.4million). Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Making the switch from sterling to US dollars had been on the agenda since the fall in the value of the pound following the vote to leave the European Union last June.

Speaking in February, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said it was a “significant issue” for the only major championship staged outside of the United States.

Slumbers said on Wednesday: “We are operating in an increasingly global marketplace and have made the decision to award the prize fund in US dollars in recognition of the fact that it is the most widely adopted currency for prize money in golf.”

Brooks Koepka won a record $2.16m (£1.67m) for his US Open victory at Erin Hills last month, while Henrik Stenson won £1.175m for his win at Royal Troon in 2016.