A massive $17.75m (£13.3m) was up for grabs at Royal Birkdale for the 2026 Open Championship. The 4.41% increase in overall prize money from the 2025 edition saw the winner’s paycheck increase by $100,000 (£74,600). New Zealand’s Ryan Fox received $3.2 million for his maiden major, but will only take home 55% of it before other expenses come in.

The 45% deductions fall under His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). It is the primary tax authority in the United Kingdom, like the IRS in the US. The body collects direct and indirect taxes, manages customs, and more. Under the HMRC guidelines, all non-UK athletes are taxed on their prize money.

The taxes are collected under four different slabs. Here are the calculations for how much non-UK athletes will pay in taxes on any earnings on UK soil:

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How Many Kiwi Golfers Have Won a Major?

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• The first £12,570 is taxed at 0% = £0
• The next £37,700 (up to £50,270) is taxed at 20% = £7,539.8
• The next £74,870 (up to £125,140) is taxed at 40% = £29,947.6
• The remaining £2,274,860 (above £125,140) is taxed at 45% = £1,023,687

Adding the amounts from all the slabs comes to £1,061,174.4, which converts to roughly $1.44 million. This means that Fox will have only $1.76 million after taxes. The 45% is similar to what every single Open Championship winner has owed the HMRC since 2013. Previously, it used to be at 50% with Ernie Els being the last champion to be taxed at that slab when he won the event at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in 2012.

Fox will be paying 10% to his caddie, which amounts to 320,000. This will see his take-home reduce to 1.44 million before other miscellaneous expenses come in.

Tom Kim had to pay it, too, after his win at the Genesis Scottish Open last week.

Despite the charges, Fox will still be happy with both the reputational and financial outcomes of The Open Championship. It was evident when he held back tears during FaceTime with his daughter after the win.

“You told me to bring a trophy home,” he told his daughter.

Fox did that and much more as well. He has now gained entry into all major tournaments and the Players Championship for the next five years. The 39-year-old has also secured his spot at all Open Championships until the year 2042.

Fox displayed nerves of steel on his birdie putt on the 18th

This was Fox’s 10th appearance at The Open. He also played in the event in 2017, when Royal Birkdale hosted it previously. On that occasion, he missed the cut. Fox would go on to miss the cut two more times, i.e., in 2022 and 2025.

Even when he made the cut, his best performance was a T16. This came in 2019, when he carded rounds of 68-75-70-69. Apart from that, he never made it to the top 20. But this year was different.

While he was not in command right from the start, it was a historic third round of eight-under 62 that got him into contention.

Ryan Fox started with a two-over 72. It featured four bogeys and just two birdies. However, he covered it in the second round with a two-under 68 that included five birdies and three bogeys. Moving Day saw Fox earn his place in golf history with one bogey on the par-4 13th and nine birdies to finish that day with an eight-under 62. He scored birdies on holes 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 14, 16, and 17 to join the list of professionals with the lowest rounds at a major in men’s golf.

Apart from him, Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns also carded rounds of 62 at The Open this week. It was the first major event in the history of the sport in which three professionals posted the lowest round.

Fox continued the momentum on the final day with a two-under 68. This included three bogeys and five birdies, one of which came on the final hole and landed him a decisive win.

The manner in which Fox made the final birdie may go down in Open Championship lore. After bogeys on the 11th and the 15th, a birdie on the 16th saw him draw level with Cameron Young and pull ahead of playing partner Sam Burns.

On the 18th, Burns made par to finish at eight under for the tournament. This left the stage for Fox.

A successful putt would earn him the title of ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’, and a miss would offer him a chance to make par and enter a playoff against Young. Fox, though, did not dally and displayed nerves of steel. He calmly walked to his marker, placed his ball, and then made a short practice putt. He then immediately attempted a 12-foot putt and sank it to win his first major.

It was just a mere 22-25 seconds that had elapsed from Burns’ par to Fox’s putt.

With the win, Fox became just the third New Zealander to win a men’s major championship, joining Michael Campbell (2005 US Open) and Bob Charles. He is only the second Kiwi, after Charles in 1963, to lift the Claret Jug.

Despite the efforts, 45% of his paycheck will be deducted before it even reaches his account. But he has earned a lot more than just the prize money at The Open.