PINEHURST, N.C. — When he spoke to the media on the eve of the U.S. Open, USGA CEO Mike Whan offered an interesting explanation as to why the association would be offering the richest prize money payout in major championship history—$21.5 million overall with $4.3 million going to Sunday's winner, Bryson DeChambeau. Yes, the feud between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has forced the hand of governing bodies that run the men’s big four events to rachet up paydays in an awkward bit of purse inflation. But there was also the notion that the championship itself should come with a financial reward commensurate with the accomplishment of being the last man standing in the U.S. Open.
“We want to make sure that our purse matches how we feel about the rest of our championship, which is that it’s a life-changing different in the game,” Whan said. “And I think we’re there and we’ll continue to kind of monitor that.”
Of course, you can make the argument that money isn’t the most important thing about being a major champion. Rather it’s the label you earn for your triumph, one that can’t be bought or taken away. Do you remember how much Jim Furyk banked when he was the 2003 U.S. Open winner at Olympia Fields? Probably not. But you do know that Furyk is a major champion. (Oh, and he made $1,080,000.)
That said, it’s quite notable that the U.S. Open purse has now increased 72 percent in just the last three years ago and is more than double what it was in 2016.
Here's a breakdown of the prize money payouts for the entire field.
Stephen Szurlej
Public
Pinehurst No. 2
Pinehurst, NC, United States
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In 2010, a team lead by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw killed and ripped out all the Bermudagrass rough on Pinehurst No. 2 that had been foolishly planted in the 1970s. Between fairways and tree lines, they established vast bands of native hardpan sand dotted with clumps of wiregrass and scattered pine needles. They reduced the irrigation to mere single rows in fairways to prevent grass from ever returning to the new sandy wastelands. Playing firm and fast, it was wildly successful as the site of the 2014 Men’s and Women’s U.S. Opens, played on consecutive weeks. Because of its water reduction, the course was named a Green Star environmental award-winner by Golf Digest that year. In 2019, Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 4 hosted another U.S. Amateur Championship, and the USGA announced Pinehurst No. 2—in addition to hosting the 2024 U.S. Open—will also have the 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047 U.S. Opens.
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Win: Bryson DeChambeau, -6/274, $4,300,000
2: Rory McIlroy, -5/275, $2,322,000
T-3: Tony Finau, -4/276, $1,229,051
T-3: Patrick Cantlay, -4/276, $1,229,051
5: Matthieu Pavon, -3/277, $843,765
6: Hideki Matsuyama, -2/278, $748,154
T-7: Russell Henley, -1/279, $639,289
T-7: Xander Schauffele, -1/279, $639,289
T-9: Sam Burns, E/280, $502,391
T-9: Davis Thompson, E/280, $502,391
T-9: Corey Conners, E/280, $502,391
T-12: Sergio Garcia, +1/281, $409,279
T-12: Ludvig Aberg, +1/281, $409,279
T-14: Thomas Detry, +2/282, $351,370
T-14: Collin Morikawa, +2/282, $351,370
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T-16: Tommy Fleetwood, +3/283, $299,218
T-16: Akshay Bhatia, +3/283, $299,218
T-16: Taylor Pendrith, +3/283, $299,218
T-19: Shane Lowry, +4/284, $255,759
T-19: Aaron Rai, +4/284, $255,759
T-21: Max Greyserman, +5/285, $203,607
T-21: Daniel Berger, +5/285, $203,607
T-21: Min Woo Lee, +5/285, $203,607
T-21: Stephan Jaeger, +5/285, $203,607
T-21: Brian Harman, +5/285, $203,607
T-26: Brooks Koepka, +6/286, $153,281
T-26: Zac Blair, +6/286, $153,281
T-26: Chris Kirk, +6/286, $153,281
T-26: Neal Shipley, +6/286, $0 (amateur)
T-26: Tom Kim, +6/286, $153,281
T-26: Tyrrell Hatton, +6/286, $153,281
T-32: Adam Scott, +7/287, $110,894
T-32: Si Woo Kim, +7/287, $110,894
T-32: Sahith Theegala, +7/287, $110,894
T-32: Keegan Bradley, +7/287, $110,894
T-32: Isaiah Salinda, +7/287, $110,894
T-32: Chrisitaan Bezuidenhout, +7/287, $110,894
T-32: Cameron Smith, +7/287, $110,894
T-32: J.T. Poston, +7/287, $110,894
T-32: Denny McCarthy, +7/287, $110,894
T-41: Frankie Capan III, +8/288, $72,305
T-41: Harris English, +8/288, $72,305
T-41: Jordan Spieth, +8/288, $72,305
T-41: Scottie Scheffler, +8/288, $72,305
T-41: Tom McKibbin, +8/288, $72,305
T-41: Tim Widing, +8/288, $72,305
T-41: Emiliano Grillo, +8/288, $72,305
T-41: Billy Horschel, +8/288, $72,305
T-41: Luke Clanton, +8/288, $0 (amateur)
T-50: Justin Lower, +9/289, $51,065
T-50: Matt Kuchar, +9/289, $51,065
T-50: Nicolai Hojgaard, +9/289, $51,065
T-50: Mark Hubbard, +9/289, $51,065
54: Nico Echavarria, +10/290, $47,370
55: David Puig, +11/291, $46,501
T-56: Seonghyeon Kim, +12/292, $44,546
T-56: Ben Kohles, +12/292, $44,546
T-56: Ryan Fox, +12/292, $44,546
T-56: Sepp Straka, +12/292, $44,546
T-56: Greyson Sigg, +12/292, $44,546
T-56: Brian Campbell, +12/292, $44,546
T-56: Adam Svensson, +12/292, $44,546
T-56: Wyndham Clark, +12/292, $44,546
T-64: Matthew Fitzpatrick, +13/293, $42,155
T-64: Francisco Molinari, +13/293, $42,155
T-64: Martin Kaymer, +13/293, $42,155
T-67: Cameron Young, +14/294, $41,069
T-67: Brendon Todd, +14/294, $41,069
69: Dean Burmester, +15/295, $40,417
T-70: Gunnar Broin, +16/296, $0 (amateur)
T-70: Brandon Wu, +16/296, $39,982
72: Sam Bennett, +17/297, $39,548
73: Jackson Suber, +18/298, $39,113
74: Austin Eckroat, +20/300, $38,670
Note: all professionals who miss the cut each receive $10,000
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