Updated

Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 21

2026 U.S. Open Offers Record $22.5 Million Purse as Winner's Share Rises to $4.5 Million

Updated

Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 21

2026 U.S. Open Offers Record $22.5 Million Purse as Winner's Share Rises to $4.5 Million

Q: The winner's prize is $4.5 million, so why will their actual take-home pay be less than half?

Because the advertised $4.5 million is a gross prize, not net pay. By the time the winner pays the caddie, taxes and routine team costs, the player’s personal take-home can fall to around $2 million or even less. The biggest deduction is taxes. A U.S. Open winner would owe federal income tax at top-bracket rates, plus Medicare-related taxes, and state income tax where the event is played. Shinnecock Hills is in New York, where state taxes are significant. Depending on the player’s home state, there can also be additional state tax effects after credits. For a $4.5 million win, federal and state taxes together can easily approach roughly $1.5 million to more than $1.8 million. The caddie’s share is another major cut. In professional golf, a winning caddie commonly receives 10% of the prize money. On $4.5 million, that is about $450,000. Beyond that, winners often pay bonuses or fees to coaches, trainers, physios, agents, accountants and other advisers. Those costs vary, but they can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for a major championship victory. So a rough example is straightforward: start with $4.5 million, subtract about $450,000 for the caddie, subtract roughly $1.5 million or more in taxes, then subtract support-team and advisory costs. That is why the winner’s real personal payout can end up below half of the headline prize.

Q: Can Wyndham Clark’s six-stroke lead break the historic curse that dooms leaders at Shinnecock Hills?

Yes—Clark is in position to break Shinnecock Hills’ long-running pattern of leaders failing to finish the job, and the evidence says he is far more likely than not to do it. The relevant history at Shinnecock is real: no 36-hole leader at the modern U.S. Opens there had previously gone on to win, and past front-runners such as Greg Norman and Dustin Johnson failed to convert. That is the “curse” people are referring to more than any formal golf statistic. But Clark’s situation is unusually strong. He took a six-shot lead into the final round after an even-par 70 on a brutal Saturday, when only two players in the field broke par. That matters because he did not need a hot round to stay in control; he handled the course when it was at its hardest. The broader major-championship numbers also favor him heavily. A six-stroke 54-hole lead in a men’s major is almost never lost. The famous exception is Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters. In other words, history at majors says Clark’s margin is overwhelmingly secure, even if Shinnecock’s own history warns against assuming anything. The main threat is Scottie Scheffler, six back and in the final pairing, with the course firm, fast and capable of producing big swings. But Clark has already shown the patience and resilience Shinnecock demands. If he plays another controlled round near par, he should end both the tournament and the Shinnecock leader narrative.

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 21

$4.5 million will go to Sunday's winner at Shinnecock Hills, up $200,000 from the 2025 U.S. Open champion's payout.
The USGA raised the total purse by $1 million to a record $22.5 million, with the remaining $800,000 spread across players who made the cut.
Sixty-seven professionals will split the pool, with last place among weekend players still worth $42,863 and every finish inside the top 38 paying six figures.
Wyndham Clark takes a six-shot lead into the final round, putting the 2023 U.S. Open champion in position for both the title and the top check.
The increase keeps the U.S. Open level with the Masters at $22.5 million, ahead of the PGA Championship's $20.5 million as majors keep escalating prize money.