The AIG Women's British Open boosted its 2026 prize pool to $10 million, marking the tour stop's sixth consecutive purse increase as LPGA majors continue closing the pay gap.
The R&A and sponsor AIG announced the $250,000 upgrade days after US star Nelly Korda won the Chevron Championship. That LPGA major raised its total payout to $9 million just two days before the first round, with Korda claiming the $1.35 million winner's share after going wire-to-wire.
Now three LPGA majors subsequently offer eight-figure prize pools, with the US Open and KPMG PGA Championship leading at $12 million each.
"These consistent and sustainable investments in the prize fund clearly demonstrate The R&A and AIG's commitment to elevating the championship on the global stage," R&A CEO Mark Darbon said in a statement.
The 2019 partnership between The R&A and AIG has more than tripled the British Open's purse. When Georgia Hall won the tournament's last visit to Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 2018, the prize pool stood at $3.25 million.
The LPGA schedule is also expanding its broadcast footprint. This year's British Open will see 34 hours of live coverage — the most of any women's major. Weekend rounds will air live across Golf Channel, USA Network, and NBC in the US.
Nelly Korda is expected to enter the late-July competition after making the final group in all five of her 2026 starts so far.
