The final women’s Major of the season has again increased its prize fund for the sixth consecutive year. The champion at Royal Lytham & St Annes will receive US$1.5 million.
The AIG Women’s Open celebrates its 50th edition with a historic prize fund. The R&A and AIG have confirmed that competitors will compete this week at Royal Lytham & St Annes for a total of US$10 million.
The figure represents an increase of US$250,000 compared with the US$9.75 million distributed in 2025 and marks the tournament’s sixth consecutive rise. The winner will receive 15 per cent of the prize fund, that is, US$1.5 million.
Miyu Yamashita, champion last year at Royal Porthcawl, earned US$1,462,500. The winner this year will surpass that record by US$37,500.
The increase is even more striking when compared with previous visits to Royal Lytham. Georgia Hall won US$490,000 from a US$3.25 million prize fund in 2018. Eight years later, the fund has more than tripled.
The difference since the tournament’s inception is also staggering. The first edition, played in 1976, distributed only £500 and Jenny Lee Smith received £210 for her victory. The R&A officially confirmed the increase to US$10 million.
Prize distribution for the AIG Women’s Open 2026
The following table shows the standard distribution corresponding to a US$10 million prize fund, calculated using the percentage scale employed by the championship. Amounts actually paid may vary in the event of ties, since in that case the prizes for the affected positions are added together and divided among the tied players. Amateurs are not eligible to receive prize money.
| Position | Prize | Position | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | US$1,500,000 | 39th | US$54,456 |
| 2nd | US$987,102 | 40th | US$52,288 |
| 3rd | US$714,932 | 41st | US$50,120 |
| 4th | US$552,116 | 42nd | US$47,953 |
| 5th | US$443,583 | 43rd | US$45,774 |
| 6th | US$362,174 | 44th | US$43,606 |
| 7th | US$302,477 | 45th | US$41,977 |
| 8th | US$264,491 | 46th | US$40,349 |
| 9th | US$237,355 | 47th | US$38,720 |
| 10th | US$215,644 | 48th | US$37,091 |
| 11th | US$199,358 | 49th | US$35,463 |
| 12th | US$185,790 | 50th | US$33,835 |
| 13th | US$173,850 | 51st | US$32,756 |
| 14th | US$163,000 | 52nd | US$31,667 |
| 15th | US$153,229 | 53rd | US$30,577 |
| 16th | US$144,547 | 54th | US$29,498 |
| 17th | US$136,954 | 55th | US$28,409 |
| 18th | US$130,439 | 56th | US$27,320 |
| 19th | US$125,014 | 57th | US$26,242 |
| 20th | US$120,668 | 58th | US$25,152 |
| 21st | US$116,332 | 59th | US$24,074 |
| 22nd | US$111,986 | 60th | US$22,985 |
| 23rd | US$107,649 | 61st | US$22,445 |
| 24th | US$103,304 | 62nd | US$21,895 |
| 25th | US$99,507 | 63rd | US$21,356 |
| 26th | US$95,711 | 64th | US$20,816 |
| 27th | US$91,903 | 65th | US$20,267 |
| 28th | US$88,107 | 66th | US$19,727 |
| 29th | US$84,310 | 67th | US$19,188 |
| 30th | US$81,053 | 68th | US$18,638 |
| 31st | US$77,796 | 69th | US$18,098 |
| 32nd | US$74,538 | 70th | US$17,559 |
| 33rd | US$71,281 | 71st | US$13,105 |
| 34th | US$68,025 | 72nd | US$12,802 |
| 35th | US$65,317 | 73rd | US$12,498 |
| 36th | US$62,599 | 74th | US$12,196 |
| 37th | US$59,892 | 75th | US$11,892 |
| 38th | US$57,174 | 76th | US$11,590 |
Professional players who miss the cut will receive approximately US$4,359 as compensation for having qualified for the championship.
The US$10 million prize fund makes the AIG Women’s Open one of the most lucrative tournaments in women’s golf. Only the US Women’s Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship have offered larger purses this season.
Growth has been sustained since The R&A and AIG began their partnership. In 2019 US$4.5 million was distributed; in 2021 it was US$5.8 million; in 2022 US$7.3 million was reached; in 2023 it rose to US$9 million; in 2024 to US$9.5 million; in 2025 to US$9.75 million and, finally, in 2026 the US$10 million barrier has been crossed.
