Windham Clark Claims Historic U.S. Open Win
Windham Clark secured a significant victory at the 126th U.S. Open, held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, with a prize of $4.5 million. This marks the largest share from a record-setting purse of $22.5 million.
This year’s prize fund saw an increase of $1 million, following a trend of rising payouts in major golf tournaments.
Interestingly, Clark’s winnings surpassed J.J. Spawn’s total from last year’s championship by $200,000, which raises some questions about the growing financial stakes in the sport.
The remainder of the increased purse—$800,000—was divided among the other players who qualified for the tournament at Shinnecock.
In second place, Sam Burns took home $2.43 million while Tom Kim earned $1,532,530 for finishing third.
A three-way tie for fourth place—featuring Scottie Scheffler, JT Poston, and Keith Mitchell—yielded $920,882 each. It’s worth noting that this year’s total prize money ties with the Masters, with both events offering $22.5 million, a million more than last year.
The PGA Championship also saw an uptick in its prize fund, increasing from $19 million to $20.5 million this year. Meanwhile, the British Open’s payout for 2026 is still up in the air after offering $17 million in 2025.
The increased prize money at the U.S. Open benefitted not just the top players. In fact, 67 professionals shared that $22.5 million, with the lowest finisher earning $42,863. Everyone in the top 38 took home at least six figures, and those in the top 20 received more than $250,000.
Just to give you an idea, golfers like Justin Rose, John Parry, Sahith Theegala, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, and Aaron Rai, all tied for 11th, each made $405,862. Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Ben Griffin, Akshay Bhatia, and Ludvig Oberg, who tied for 17th, collected $280,966 each.
At the other end of the spectrum, notable players such as Keegan Bradley, Dustin Johnson, and Rory McIlroy shared a tie for 32nd place, taking home $128,756 each.
But for Clark, it was all about the trophy and that substantial $4.5 million check—the largest payout in the tournament’s history.
