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British Open Golf winner to pocket £1 mn for first time

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Rory McIlroy will collect £1.15 mn if he retains his British Open title next month (AFP Photo/Andrew Yates)

London (AFP) - The winner of this year's British Open will collect more than £1 million ($1.6m, 1.4m euros) for the first time in the tournament's history, organisers the R&A announced on Wednesday.

The overall prize fund for the game's oldest major championship has increased £900,000 to £6.3 million, with the champion receiving £1.15 million.

That is £175,000 more than Rory McIlroy won at Hoylake last year.

"The Open is one of the world's pre-eminent sporting events," R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said.