U.S. Open Falls Behind Masters in Prize Money: ‘It’s Not a Race’

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — 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 men’s major championships. Rory McIlroy’s winner’s 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.

“To be determined,” Whan told FOS on Tuesday at the U.S. Open media day when asked about a purse increase. “We make that decision with the board usually the week before we play. But to me, it’s not a race. It wouldn’t bother me a bit if Augusta was more or less the same.”

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 Tour’s Players Championship has had a $25 million purse and $4.5 million winner’s 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 golf’s other two majors paid out in 2025; the PGA Championship purse was $19 million and the Open Championship’s was $17 million.

“When I started at the USGA (in 2021), we were $12.5 million, and the women’s purse was $4.5 million,” Whan said. “So, we’re pretty excited about what’s happened with the purses in the last five years.”

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 golf’s leaders.

“It’s funny to admit this out loud, but no, we really don’t talk about it,” he said. “Honestly, I remember reading that,” he said of the Masters increasing its purse. “But if you ask me right now what the purse of the other two majors were, I don’t think I’d get within a million dollars of correct.”

Despite the recent increase in prize money, Whan believes it’s still not the most important thing for U.S. Open participants.

“Most players, when they win the U.S. Open don’t remember what they won,” he said.

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