Golf's Richest Prize
2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Features Record $22.5M Prize, $4.5M for Winner
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The USGA is offering a record $22.5 million purse for the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills — the largest in men's major championship history. The winner will take home $4.5 million, according to Yahoo Sports. That is more than double the $2.16 million Brooks Koepka earned when he won at the same course in 2018.
The purse is $1 million more than last year's U.S. Open. It matches the $22.5 million Augusta National offered at the Masters in April. The PGA Championship last month had a $20.5 million purse, making the U.S. Open the joint-richest major in the sport.
How the Winner's Check More Than Doubled Since 2018
The last U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills was in 2018. The total purse then was $12 million. The winner's check was $2.16 million. In 2026, the same course will hand out $4.5 million to the champion. That is a 108% jump in eight years, according to Yahoo Sports.
The full $22.5 million is split across the field. Second place earns $2.7 million. Third place gets $1.71 million. Even players who miss the cut receive a $10,000 stipend to help cover travel and caddie costs. The USGA designed the payout scale to put more money in the pockets of mid-tier players too.
LIV Golf Pressure Forced Traditional Majors to Pay Up
The jump to $22.5 million did not happen in a vacuum. LIV Golf launched in 2022 with $25 million purses for 54-hole events. That put pressure on the traditional majors to raise their pay. In 2023, the USGA lifted its purse to $20 million at Los Angeles Country Club. It has climbed every year since.
Analysts note that Augusta National moved first this season, setting the $22.5 million bar at the Masters. The USGA then matched it exactly. Writer Eamon Lynch of Golfweek put it plainly: the USGA could not afford to be seen as the 'budget' major if Augusta raised the bar.
Shinnecock Has Never Been Kind to 36-Hole Leaders
Whoever pockets the $4.5 million will earn every cent. Shinnecock Hills is one of the toughest courses in America. According to KSL, no player leading at the halfway point of a U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills over the last 40 years has gone on to win. The wind and the setup have swallowed many leads whole.
Wyndham Clark is one example. He held a four-shot lead at the halfway mark but fell back into the field as the wind picked up. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said the money matters, but added: 'We don't play for the check.' The course, he implied, demands full respect no matter what is at stake.
USGA's Nonprofit Status Puts Big Purses Under Scrutiny
The USGA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. That means it does not pay taxes the way a private company does. Critics ask how a nonprofit can justify handing out $4.5 million to a single golfer. The USGA says the U.S. Open generates most of its money from a TV deal with NBCUniversal. That money funds amateur events and grassroots golf programs.
NBC analyst Brandel Chamblee warned that the giant numbers risk alienating fans. 'The money is secondary,' he said on air. 'But we've reached a point where the numbers are so astronomical they risk alienating the average fan.' The 2026 U.S. Open is still expected to bring roughly $175 million in economic impact to Long Island, dwarfing the purse itself.
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