The Open champion at Royal Troon will win a record �720,000 for his four day's work in July. The winner's purse is up by �20,000 on the amount Ben Curtis pocketed last year, with the total prize fund up �100,000 to an unprecedented �4m.
"We've increased the prize money in line with inflation and this keeps the Open purse highly competitive," said Open boss Peter Dawson.
The par-71 course will play 7,175 yards, 96 yards longer than in 1997.
The tee at the long sixth has gone back 24 yards, making it 601 yards, the par-four 11th is 27 yards longer at 490 yards and the 483-yard 15th has been lengthened by 26 yards.
American Justin Leonard won the Open the last time it was staged at the Ayrshire course seven years ago.
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke led by four shots at one point but ended up joint runner-up with Swede Jesper Parnevik, three strokes behind Leonard.
Arthur Havers was Troon's first Open champion in 1923, followed by Bobby Locke (1950), Arnold Palmer (1962), Tom Weiskopf (1973), Tom Watson (1982), Mark Calcavecchia (1989) and Leonard.
International qualifying has been introduced for the first time this year.
The European heat will be at Sunningdale on 28 June, the same day as the American qualifier at Congressional in Washington.
MMIX
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