Formerly sponsored by Weetabix and Ricoh, The Women’s British Open became the AIG Women's Open in 2019 through a sponsorship deal that extends until 2025 – which has been good news for those competing.
AIG, in alliance with The R&A, is dedicated in helping to elevate and advance women's golf by shining a spotlight on gender equity, especially gender pay equity.
The prize fund for the 2023 AIG Women’s Open was confirmed a day before play got underway, and it now stands at $9m, a 23% increase on last year’s prize fund of $7.3m, of which Ashleigh Buhai claimed $1.095m for her win.
Here's how the Women’s British Open prize money has grown since AIG became a title sponsor, and how it's increased since it was first recognised as a Major Championship by the LPGA in 1994.
How The Women’s British Open Prize Money Has Grown
- 2023 – $9m
- 2022 – $7.3m
- 2021 – $5.8m
- 2020 – $4.5m
- 2019 – $4.5m (beginning of The R&A’s partnership with AIG)
- 2018 – $3.25m
- 2017 – $3.25m
- 2016 – $3m
- 2015 – $3m
- 2014 – $3m
- 2013 – $2.75m
- 2012 – $2.75m
- 2011 – $2.5m
- 2010 – $2.5m
- 2009 – $2.2m
- 2008 – $2.1m
- 2007 – $2m
- 2006 – $1.8m
- 2005 – $1.8m
- 2004 – $1.6m
- 2003 – $1.6m
- 2002 – $1.5m
- 2001 – $1.5m
- 2000 – $1.25m
- 1999 – $1m
- 1998 – $1m
- 1997 – $900,000
- 1996 – $850,000
- 1995 – $600,000
- 1994 – $500,000
How Does Prize Money Compare To The Men's Open Championship?
At the 151st Open Championship, winner Brian Harman took home a cheque for $3 million.
The game's oldest Major Championship was just played for pride back in 1860, but at Royal Liverpool in 2023, the best male golfers in the world competed for a total prize fund of $16.5 million.
Prize Funds For The 2023 Women’s Majors
With a prize fund of $9 million in 2023, there are two women’s golf Majors that boast bigger prize funds than the AIG Women's Open – the KPMG PGA Championship and U.S. Women’s Open, the latter of which has the biggest purse in the women’s Major season.
- Chevron Championship $5.1 million
- KPMG Women's PGA Championship $10 million
- U.S. Women’s Open $11 million
- Evian Championship $6.5 million
- AIG Women's Open $9 million
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