US Open Golf Purse 2015: Projecting Payouts for Top-10 Leaderboard Standings
When it comes to the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, we should know by now to expect the unexpected.
The links-style course has been very inconsistent through 54 holes of championship golf, and it has received mixed reviews from the tournament's participants as a result. Similar inconsistencies have shown up in the performances of many members of the field, as top players have had difficulty chasing a solid round with another low number.
A perfect example of that is Patrick Reed, who entered Saturday with a share of the lead at five-under par, only to blow up with a six-over 76 on the day, fall to one over for the tournament and put himself in an enormous hole entering Sunday.
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Another inconsistency in this year's U.S. Open is the total prize money. Last year, Martin Kaymer won the tournament and earned $1.62 million from a $9 million purse. In 2015, the U.S. Open's prize money increased to $10 million to match the totals of the Masters, The Players and the PGA Championship. That said, predicting the prize money comes with a little bit of investigative work.
According to Augusta.com, Masters winner Jordan Spieth took home $1.8 million after finishing the tournament four strokes clear of the field. With the total purse of the U.S. Open mirroring Augusta National's famed event, we can expect the winner to take home roughly the same amount.
But who will it be?
Before predicting the outcome and payouts for this year's tournament, let's take a quick look at the current leaderboard heading into Sunday.
Updated U.S. Open Leaderboard
The full tournament leaderboard can be viewed at USOpen.com.
U.S. Open Projections and Payouts
| 1 | Jordan Spieth | $1.8 million |
| 2 | Jason Day | $1.08 million |
| 3 | Louis Oosthuizen | $680,000 |
| 4 | Dustin Johnson | $480,000 |
| 5 | Henrik Stenson | $400,000 |
| 6 | Branden Grace | $360,000 |
| 7 | Cameron Smith | $335,000 |
| 8 | Patrick Reed | $310,000 |
| 9 | Shane Lowry | $290,000 |
| 10 | J.B. Holmes | $270,000 |
Projected payouts by finishing position based on amounts via Augusta.com.
That's right. Spieth, the 21-year-old phenom, does it again. The best word we can use to describe the world No. 2 through 54 holes at Chambers Bay is unflappable. No matter what obstacles present themselves, Spieth always appears calm, cool and collected, controlling his emotions and remaining in full control of his game. He may as well have ice water flowing through his veins.
After a turbulent front nine that included three birdies and four bogeys for a one-over 36, Spieth made the turn and dropped another shot on the par-four 11th. Many golfers would begin to spiral out of control after losing so much ground in a major, but not Spieth.
He approached the 15th hole and expertly used the slope of the green to his advantage, allowing the ball to run well past the pin only to filter back to rest just 10 feet from the hole. He went on to sink that birdie and finish out the round with some of his best golf of the week.
That may seem funny considering Spieth only parred the final three holes, but Chambers Bay gave him several opportunities to collapse. He missed a short birdie putt on the short par-four 16th, and despite a brilliant tee shot on the par-three 17th, his putter failed him once more, forcing him to settle for par. From there, his tee shot on No. 18—one he isn't fond of—missed its mark.
Instead of blowing up, Spieth kept his frustration from getting the best of him and calmly walked off the distance for his third shot, pacing all the way to the green and back. What resulted was a gem of an approach which settled just 12 feet from the hole. Unfortunately, his putt sailed wide, and he settled for par, but his ability to remain cool under that kind of pressure in a major speaks volumes.
On a course that is truly testing the mental strength of the U.S. Open participants, expect Spieth, who is overwhelmingly mature for his age, to flourish.
One player to watch in the final round is Jason Day—he's the feel-good story of the U.S. Open through three rounds. On Friday, Day collapsed on the ninth hole in the second round and received a diagnosis of vertigo. Here's the statement that was released by his agent, Bud Martin, via Bob Harig of ESPN.com:
"Jason was diagnosed to have suffered from Benign Positional Vertigo. He was treated locally by Dr. Robert Stoecker and Dr. Charles Souliere and is resting comfortably. His condition is being monitored closely and he is hopeful he will be able to compete this weekend in the final rounds of the U.S. Open. He wants to thank all who treated him at the Franciscan Medical Group and thank all of the fans and friends who have reached out to he and his family.
"
Not only did Day return to action on Saturday, but he was also in phenomenal form, recording a two-under 68 to earn a share of the U.S. Open lead. What makes Day so scary for the tournament's final round is the momentum he began to build late on Day 3.
After starting with a shaky front nine that included two bogeys and seven pars for a two-over 37, Day bounced back immediately. He birdied the par-four 10th, dropped a shot on the 530-yard par-four 11th but made up for it with another birdie on the 12th. A brilliant tee shot on the par-three 15th led to another birdie, finally getting him back to even par for the day.
He continued to excel on the par-three 17th, finding the green on his tee shot and rattling in an 18-foot birdie putt to move to one under for his round. On the par-five 18th, Day's drive found the fescue, and he was forced to lay up as a result. However, his approach was magnificent, as he used the slope of the green to get within six feet and tapped in for another birdie.
Rest assured, with three birdies in his final four holes on Saturday, Day is chock-full of confidence heading into the final round of the U.S. Open.
Rounding out the top three is Louis Oosthuizen. After a dreadful first round that included five bogeys and two doubles for a seven-over 77, he's been one of the tournament's most consistent players, rattling off a pair of 66s in his ensuing two rounds. Oosthuizen only appears to be gaining confidence, as he navigated Saturday's tough conditions with ease and recorded just one bogey alongside his five birdies.
Oosthuizen may be four strokes off the pace heading into Sunday, but there may not be another player riding as much momentum. If he can put up a 66 for the third day in a row, he'll be in prime position to forge a remarkable comeback on the 54-hole leaders.
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