A month ago the USGA announced that it was increasing the prizemoney payout for the US Open to $US12.5 million overall, with winner Gary Woodland receiving $US2.25 million for his effort. This matches the purse at the Players Championship as the most lucrative tournament on the US PGA Tour, and keeps the USGA’s marquee event ahead of the other three Majors in terms of big-money paydays. (Masters, $US11.5 million; PGA Championship, $US11 million; Open Championship $US10.5 million)
It’s not, however, until you break down the amount of money doled out for all the spots in the field that the largesse comes into full focus. Simply consider how much some notable past US Open champions made when they won their titles and then look at what the players will be taking in this week, and the disparity is striking.
When Horace Rawlins won the inaugural championship in 1895, he claimed $150. Last place today earned $21,224, or 141 times what Rawlins made.
Since World War II, here’s how much some of the notable winners have earned for their victories:
1950: Ben Hogan at Merion, $US4,000
1960: Arnold Palmer at Cherry Hills, $14,400
1962: Jack Nicklaus at Oakmont, $15,000
1973: Johnny Miller at Oakmont, $35,000
1982: Tom Watson at Pebble Beach,$60,000
1992: Tom Kite at Pebble Beach, $275,000
2000: Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach, $800,000
2010: Graeme McDowell at Pebble Beach, $1.35 million
And consider the career US Open earnings of some of the game’s all-time greats. Jack Nicklaus, in 44 US Open starts, made $363,955, about what the players who finished in seventh place earned just this past week. Arnold Palmer, in 32 US Open starts, made $112,119.50. Finish 21st today, and you’ve made more. Ben Hogan’s career US Open earnings ($32,651.66) get beat by the 43rd-place finishers.
Long story short: they played for a lot of loot this weekend. And here is how much everybody who made the cut earned:
Win: Gary Woodland, -13, $US2,250,000
2: Brooks Koepka, -10, $1,350,000
T-3: Xander Schauffele, -7, $581,872
T-3: Jon Rahm, -7, $581,872
T-3: Chez Reavie, -7, $581,872
T-3: Justin Rose, -7, $581,872
T-7: Adam Scott, -6, $367,387
T-7: Louis Oosthuizen, -6, $367,387
T-9: Henrik Stenson, -5, $288,715
T-9: Chesson Hadley, -5, $288,715
T-9: Rory McIlroy, -5, $288,715
T-12: Viktor Hovland, -4, Amateur
T-12: Matt Fitzpatrick, -4, $226,609
T-12: Matt Wallace, -4, $226,609
T-12: Danny Willett, -4, $226,609
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T-16: Webb Simpson, -3, $172,455
T-16: Francesco Molinari, -3, $172,455
T-16: Byeong Hun An, -3, $172,455
T-16: Graeme McDowell, -3, $172,455
T-16: Matt Kuchar, -3, $172,455
T-21: Paul Casey, -2, $117,598
T-21: Alex Prugh, -2, $117,598
T-21: Tiger Woods, -2, $117,598
T-21: Jason Day, -2, $117,598
T-21: Tyrrell Hatton, -2, $117,598
T-21: Hideki Matsuyama, -2, $117,598
T-21: Patrick Cantlay, -2, $117,598
T-28: Sepp Straka, -1, $86,071
T-28: Shane Lowry, -1, $86,071
T-28: Jim Furyk, -1, $86,071
T-28: Nate Lashley, -1, $86,071
T-32: Marcus Kinhult, E, $72,928
T-32: Patrick Reed, E, $72,928
T-32: Billy Horschel, E, $72,928
T-35: Aaron Wise, +1, $57,853
T-35: Bryson DeChambeau, +1, $57,853
T-35: Collin Morikawa, +1, $57,853
T-35: Martin Kaymer, +1, $57,853
T-35: Jason Dufner, +1, $57,853
T-35: Marc Leishman, +1, $57,853
T-35: Dustin Johnson, +1, $57,853
T-35: Brandon Wu, +1, Amateur
T-43: Andrew Putnam, +2, $41,500
T-43: Rory Sabbatini, +2, $41,500
T-43: Erik Van Rooyen, +2, $41,500
T-43: Tom Hoge, +2, $41,500
T-43: Rickie Fowler, +2, $41,500
T-43: Nick Taylor, +2, $41,500
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T-49: Kevin Kisner, +3, $31,385
T-49: Daniel Berger, +3, $31,385
T-49: Abraham Ancer, +3, $31,385
T-52: Phil Mickelson, +4, $27,181
T-52: Charles Howell III, +4, $27,181
T-52: Carlos Ortiz, +4, $27,181
T-52: Sergio Garcia, +4, $27,181
T-52: Haotong Li, +4, $27,181
T-52: Scott Piercy, +4, $27,181
T-58: Charlie Danielson, +5, $25,350
T-58: Zach Johnson, +5, $25,350
T-58: Andy Pope, +5, $25,350
T-58: Adri Arnaus, +5, $25,350
T-58: Harris English, +5, $25,350
T-58: Emiliano Grillo, +5, $25,350
T-58: Chandler Eaton, +5, Amateur
T-65: Justin Walters, +6, $23,851
T-65: Kyle Stanley, +6, $23,851
T-65: Brian Stuard, +6, $23,851
T-65: Rafa Cabrera Bello, +6, $23,851
T-65: Tommy Fleetwood, +6, $23,851
T-65: Jordan Spieth, +6, $23,851
71: Rhys Enoch, +7, $22,977
T-72: Cameron Smith, +8, $22,353
T-72: Luke Donald, +8, $22,353
T-72: Clement Sordet, +8, $22,353
T-72: Billy Hurley III, +8, $22,353
76: Bernd Wiesberger, +10, $21,728
77: Brandt Snedeker, +11, $21,478
78: Chip McDaniel, +13, $21,224
79: Michael Thorbjornsen, +20, Amateur
