Getty

The U.S. OPEN trophy is seen outside of the clubhouse prior to the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 16, 2026.

The 126th U.S. Open is underway at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island, where the world’s best golfers are competing not only for one of the sport’s most prestigious trophies but also for a massive payday.

The United States Golf Association has once again increased the financial stakes, with the total purse reaching $22.5 million. That figure makes the U.S. Open one of the richest events in professional golf and ensures that players throughout the field will earn significant payouts based on their final position on the leaderboard.

Wyndham Clark has emerged as the player everyone is chasing. Clark entered the third round with a four-shot lead after producing a historic start at Shinnecock Hills. He opened the championship with the lowest round ever recorded in a U.S. Open at the famed Long Island venue before backing it up with another strong performance to reach 7-under par through 36 holes.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion now finds himself in position to add another major title to his resume, and claim the tournament’s $4.5 million winner’s check.

“I just think with the mental game there’s ebbs and flows,” Clark said. “If you think of it as climbing Everest, sometimes you go up, sometimes you have to go down to go back up. I think that’s kind of what happens both on the golf course and off the golf course.

“Right now I’m trending back up, which is nice.”

U.S. Open Purse Breakdown

Here is a look at the complete payouts for the 2026 U.S. Open:

What’s Next on Tour?

Following the conclusion of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, the PGA Tour schedule remains packed with high-profile events as players continue chasing FedExCup points and positioning ahead of the playoffs.

The next stop is the Travelers Championship, which will be played June 25-28 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. As one of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, the tournament features a $20 million purse and 700 FedExCup points for the winner. Keegan Bradley enters as the defending champion after earning $3.6 million with his victory last year.

After the Travelers Championship, the tour heads to Illinois for the John Deere Classic from July 2-5. The event carries an $8.8 million purse before players travel overseas for the Genesis Scottish Open in Scotland from July 9-12, one of the final tune-up events before the year’s final major championship.

The golf world will then turn its attention to The Open Championship, scheduled for July 16-19 at Royal Birkdale in England. The tournament will award 750 FedExCup points and serves as the final major championship of the season. Scottie Scheffler enters as the defending champion after winning last year’s Claret Jug.

Following The Open, players will continue their push toward the FedExCup Playoffs at the 3M Open in Minnesota (July 23-26) and the Rocket Classic in Detroit (July 30-Aug. 2), with each event offering valuable points and millions of dollars in prize money as the postseason approaches.