There is plenty on the line at the 2026 U.S. Open. Becoming a national champion is one of the most prestigious titles in golf, and winning a U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club adds a little something extra to that accomplishment. On top of the chance for players to etch their names in history at one of the country’s most iconic courses, the winner of the 126th playing of the U.S. Open will take home a record share from the $22.5 million purse.The $4.5 million going to the winner of the U.S. Open is a $200,000 raise from what J.J. Spaun brought home from Oakmont last year. Overall, the USGA increased its pool by $1 million, with the remaining $800,000 divided among everyone else who made the cut.The U.S. Open’s purse increase keeps it in lockstep with the Masters, which also increased its prize pool to $22.5 million this year. When asked whether Augusta National’s bump influenced the USGA’s decision, USGA CEO Mike Whan reported on Wednesday that he wanted to stay at the top of the game but noted they’re not chasing anyone else and want to make sure they stand out. “Yeah, some of that’s just personal pride. We want to be big. We want to be the best. We want to make sure it’s life-changing in multiple ways,” Whan reported. “We also are not in a race. We’re not chasing. … We’re proud of where we are. I couldn’t tell you, and until I get some truth serum in here, how much farther we go in the years to come, but we think it’s a measure of how we feel about our championship. It needs to be significant and stand out. We think $22.5 [million] does.”There have been several purse increases in recent years at golf’s four major championships. The U.S. Open and Masters remain at the top at $22.5 million after both made $1 million increases in 2026, while the PGA Championship upped its purse from $19 million to $20.5 million this year. The Open Championship paid out $17 million in 2025, and we’ll find out in a month’s time whether the R&A will increase it in 2026 or stick with the same number they’ve been at since 2024.
The benefactors of the major championship arms race are the players, who will battle it out this week at one of the game’s great cathedrals for their share of the $22.5 million pool. The 67 professionals who made the weekend (here’s all of the significant names who are not playing Saturday and Sunday) will split that purse, with a minimum of $42,863 going to the player who finishes at the bottom of the professional leaderboard. Everyone who finishes inside the top 38 this week will take home a six-figure paycheck, with the top 20 all making more than $250,000.
Below is the full payout structure for each leaderboard position this weekend at Shinnecock Hills. Make sure you do not miss a moment of the action by diving into CBS Sports’ 2026 U.S. Open TV schedule and coverage guide.
2026 U.S. Open prize money, purse
Total purse: $22.5 million
1st: $4,500,000
2nd: $2,430,000
3rd: $1,532,530
4th: $1,074,363
5th: $894,841
6th: $793,443
7th: $715,320
8th: $640,654
9th: $579,815
10th: $532,572
11th: $486,021
12th: $449,379
13th: $418,729
14th: $386,466
15th: $358,812
16th: $335,767
17th: $317,331
18th: $298,895
19th: $280,459
20th: $262,022
21st: $246,121
22nd: $230,220
23rd: $214,780
24th: $200,492
25th: $188,048
26th: $177,447
27th: $169,381
28th: $162,237
29th: $155,324
30th: $148,410
31st: $141,497
32nd: $134,583
33rd: $127,669
34th: $121,447
35th: $116,377
36th: $111,307
37th: $106,468
38th: $101,859
39th: $97,250
40th: $92,641
41st: $88,032
42nd: $83,423
43rd: $78,814
44th: $74,205
45th: $69,596
46th: $65,448
47th: $61,300
48th: $57,382
49th: $55,077
50th: $52,773
51st: $51,390
52nd: $50,238
53rd: $49,316
54th: $48,855
55th: $48,394
56th: $47,933
57th: $47,472
58th: $47,012
59th: $46,551
60th: $46,090
61st: $45,629
62nd: $45,168
63rd: $44,707
64th: $44,26
65th: $43,785
66th: $43,324
67th: $42,863
