The home of golf welcomed the 152nd Open Championship at the Royal Troon Golf Club for the 10th time in its history. Among the 156 players in the field, every top golfer from around the world has taken part to prove themselves at the last men’s major of the year and contend for the oldest major title.

Among the many names, world no. 2 Rory McIlroy has been the one making headlines, as the pro has a last chance this season to break his 10-year-long major drought. The Northern Irishman has been paired with his Ryder Cup comrade Tyrrell Hatton and 6-time PGA Tour winner Max Homa. The trio will start their second round at 10:10 a.m. EST.

Expectations are higher for many in the field, but not more than they are for Tiger Woods. The 15-time major champion has missed the cut for two majors, the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. Moreover, he was T60 at the 88th Masters, the worst finish of his career. The 48-year-old is in the group with reigning PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay. Their second round will start at 4:25 a.m. EST.

By the end of the 36 holes, many pros will miss the brutal cut and a chance to lift the Claret Jug on Sunday. Woods would hope that this time he would make the cut and attempt to contend for the title at the 152nd Open. After all, the Open Championship has just hit its record prize money numbers.

Has the prize money for the Open Championship changed?

The 2024 season has been the year for the major championship to elevate its prize purse more than it ever did. Starting with the men’s first major, the Masters increased its prize pool by $2 million and ramped it up to $20 million, the first in its history, awarding Scottie Scheffler a $3.6 million winner’s share.

Following this, the PGA Championship also hit the record total purse of $18.5 million ($1 million more than in 2023) and the U.S. Open had a prize purse of $21.1 million ($1.1 million more than in 2023), offering Bryson DeChambeau a share of $4.3 million. As the trend goes, the R&A increased prize money for the Open Championship as well.

In its 152 years of history, the Open will have a $17 million prize pool ($500,000 more than the last edition), with the winner receiving $3.1 million. While the runner-up will bag $1.76 million, more than double what the winner of the Barracuda Championship will receive. Indeed, this year, the field has a lot at stake and as a result, the 152nd Open Championship will be more dramatic and challenging for the pros.