Clemson trending heavily for four-star RB Gary Walker
Clemson trending heavily for four-star RB Gary Walker with 84.2% chance of commitment.
U.S. Open organizers have not yet decided on increasing the prize money to match the Masters' record $22.5 million purse. USGA CEO Mike Whan stated that the decision will be made shortly before the tournament, emphasizing it's not a competition.
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. â U.S. Open organizers have not yet decided whether they will match or one-up the record purse the Masters paid out this year, USGA CEO Mike Whan told Front Office Sports.
Augusta National increased prize money by $1.5 million in April to $22.5 million, which is the largest purse ever for one of the four menâs major championships. Rory McIlroyâs winnerâs check was $4.5 million, also a record.
The U.S. Open purse last year was $21.5 million, the same amount it was in 2024, which marked the first time since 2021 there was no year-over-year increase. J.J. Spaun won $4.3 million.
âTo be determined,â Whan told FOS on Tuesday at the U.S. Open media day when asked about a purse increase. âWe make that decision with the board usually the week before we play. But to me, itâs not a race. It wouldnât bother me a bit if Augusta was more or less the same.â
Since 2017, the U.S. Open has had the largest purse among the four majors.
The last time another major matched it was 2016, when both the U.S. Open and the Masters each paid out $10 million, including a $1.8 million first-place prize.
Prize money in golf has skyrocketed since the 2022 emergence of LIV Golf, which launched paying unprecedented $25 million purses at every tournament.
Despite not having major status, the PGA Tourâs Players Championship has had a $25 million purse and $4.5 million winnerâs check since 2023, the same year the PGA Tour started paying out $20 million purses at its eight signature events each season.
That $20 million figure is more than what golfâs other two majors paid out in 2025; the PGA Championship purse was $19 million and the Open Championshipâs was $17 million.
âWhen I started at the USGA (in 2021), we were $12.5 million, and the womenâs purse was $4.5 million,â Whan said. âSo, weâre pretty excited about whatâs happened with the purses in the last five years.â
Representatives from the four majors make up the majority of the seven seats on the Official World Golf Ranking board, but Whan said prize money is not a topic that comes up often, if at all, among golfâs leaders.
âItâs funny to admit this out loud, but no, we really donât talk about it,â he said. âHonestly, I remember reading that,â he said of the Masters increasing its purse. âBut if you ask me right now what the purse of the other two majors were, I donât think Iâd get within a million dollars of correct.â
Despite the recent increase in prize money, Whan believes itâs still not the most important thing for U.S. Open participants.
âMost players, when they win the U.S. Open donât remember what they won,â he said.
The post U.S. Open Falls Behind Masters in Prize Money: âItâs Not a Raceâ appeared first on Front Office Sports.
The current prize money for the U.S. Open is $21.5 million, the same as last year.
The Masters increased its prize money by $1.5 million, bringing the total to $22.5 million.
The U.S. Open organizers will make a decision on a potential purse increase the week before the tournament.
Clemson trending heavily for four-star RB Gary Walker with 84.2% chance of commitment.
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