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| |  Wednesday, 12 July, 2000, 09:48 GMT Who wants to be a half-millionaire?  Paul Lawrie pocketed �350,000 at last year's Open This year's Open winner will pocket a massive �500,000 as the St Andrews prize fund has enjoyed a staggering increase. Paul Lawrie received �350,000 when he won the title at Carnoustie last year, but the prize fund increase for the 2000 Open keeps it in line with the money up for grabs at the other Majors. The top prize matches the figure won by Tiger Woods at the US Open last month, is greater than that which Woods collected at the US PGA last August and is not far behind the �520,000 that Vijay Singh pocketed at the Masters in April. But as championship secretary David Hill revealed, it is not only the winner who will go home happier from The Open this year thanks to the record purse of �2.75m.
"In addition to the 43% increase for the winner, we have substantially increased all other prizes by amounts up to 40%," said Hill. "This now means that while there will be �500,000 for the winner any player who makes the (halfway) cut will receive at least �7,000."
St Andrews has certainly witnessed a rapid rise in prize money over the years. Jack Nicklaus took home �5,250 and �12,500 respectively for his victories on the Old Course in 1970 and 1978, while Seve Ballesteros received �55,000 in 1984 and Nick Faldo's bank balance was boosted by �85,000 in 1990. John Daly's success at the last St Andrews Open in 1995 reaped only a quarter of this year's first prize as he received �125,000 when the total prize fund was �1.25m. Peter Dawson, new secretary of the Royal and Ancient Club, added: "I would not like anybody to think we are joining a general leap in prize money. We regard the 2000 Open as a special occasion." | | 
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