00:00 The Open Championship is the oldest of golf's four majors, with the first playing of the event
00:04 dating back to 1860. Today it's a huge sporting event and winning it brings with it a host of
00:11 perks that go well beyond being named the Champion Golfer of the Year. In this video,
00:16 we're going to take a look at exactly what they are. Let's start with the Sterling Silver
00:20 Claret Jug, one of the most recognisable trophies in sport. The winner gets to keep the Claret Jug
00:25 for 12 months, returning it to the R&A at the start of the Championship week the following year.
00:30 After that, he receives a full-size replica of the Claret Jug to keep and can order up to three
00:36 more smaller replicas. The winner also receives the gold medal. This was first awarded in 1872,
00:42 replacing the Challenge Belt which was previously awarded to the winner. When young Tom Morris won
00:46 his third consecutive Open in 1870, he was given the belt to keep. Right, let's talk money. The
00:52 Open is one of the most lucrative events you can win in the game of golf. This year's Champion
00:57 Golfer will walk away with a cheque for over two million dollars. That's quite an increase from
01:01 the £10 that was dished out to Willie Park Senior back in 1863. Arguably the most valuable prize of
01:08 all is the long list of exemptions that allows an Open winner to compete in a host of lucrative
01:13 events around the world for many years. These include five-year exemptions to play on the PGA
01:18 and DP World Tours, entry to the next five Masters tournaments, US PGAs and US Opens,
01:25 and guaranteed entry to every Open Championship until the age of 60, or the ability to play in
01:31 the next 10 Opens even if the player is over the age of 60. So as you can see, there is a lot to
01:37 be gained by winning the Open. Thanks for watching, we'll see you next time.
