U.S. Open organizers have yet to decide whether they will match or surpass the record-breaking prize purse set by the Masters in 2026, according to USGA CEO Mike Whan.
Augusta National raised the Masters purse by $1.5 million in April, bringing the total to a record $22.5 million — the highest ever among golf’s four men’s major championships. Rory McIlroy claimed a historic $4.5 million winner’s check.
By comparison, the U.S. Open offered a $21.5 million purse in both 2024 and 2025, marking the first time since 2021 that the tournament did not increase its prize money year-over-year. Last year’s champion, J.J. Spaun, earned $4.3 million.
Speaking during U.S. Open media day in Southampton, New York, Whan emphasized that the decision on this year’s purse has not yet been finalized.
“To be determined,” he said. “We usually make that decision with the board the week before the tournament. But to me, it’s not a race. It wouldn’t bother me if Augusta was higher or about the same.”
The final prize pool for the 2026 U.S. Open will be announced during tournament week at Shinnecock Hills.
Historically, the U.S. Open has led the majors in prize money since 2017. The last time another major matched it was in 2016, when both the U.S. Open and the Masters featured $10 million purses.
Prize money in professional golf has surged dramatically since the emergence of LIV Golf in 2022, which introduced unprecedented $25 million purses at each event. In response, the PGA Tour has also increased its payouts, with The Players Championship offering a $25 million purse and $4.5 million to the winner since 2023. Additionally, eight signature PGA Tour events now feature $20 million purses.
These figures exceed the prize pools of other majors in 2025, where the PGA Championship stood at $19 million and The Open Championship at $17 million.
Despite the financial escalation across the sport, Whan suggested that prize money is not a central concern among golf’s governing bodies.
“It’s funny to say, but we really don’t talk about it,” he noted. “I remember reading about the Masters increase, but I couldn’t tell you the exact figures for the other majors.”
Whan also подчеркнул that for players, winning the U.S. Open carries significance beyond financial rewards.
“Most players don’t remember the amount they won,” he said. “They remember that they won the U.S. Open.”