US Open Golf Purse 2018: Payouts for Top-10 Leaderboard Standings

After dominating the field in the first two rounds of the U.S. Open, Dustin Johnson shot a disastrous 77 on moving day as his four-shot lead disappeared Saturday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southhampton, New York.

Johnson is in a four-way tie for the lead with defending champion Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger and Tony Finau.

Tyler Kaufman/Associated Press

Berger and Finau, who teed off in the morning session, both shot rounds of four-under 66 and moved from seven-over and tied for 45th to three-over and a tie for the top spot.

Since Berger and Finau finished their round earlier than Koepka and Johnson, they will be in the final pairing of Sunday's championship round.

While the honor of winning the national tournament in what is arguably the most difficult environment of the year is reward in itself, players will be competing for $12 million in prize money. The winner is scheduled to earn $2.16 million, a substantial prize.

As bad as Johnson's round was, he was just one over par for the back nine. The front nine was a disaster that started with a double bogey on the second hole, and he shot a six-over par 41 for the initial nine holes.

He tried to keep a positive frame of mind despite the score.

"I felt like I hit the ball well and I am still tied for the lead," Johnson said as he met the press after the round (televised by the Golf Channel). "The speeds were a little inconsistent. I don't mind it being fast and I don't mind it being tough, but some were fast and some were slow. That's inconsistent."

Koepka was pleased with the way he played during the difficult conditions that overpowered many of the players on moving day.

"I thought I played very well today and I hit the ball very well," Koepka said while being interviewed on Fox. "We knew the conditions would be difficult. We knew the greens would be fast and the scores today tell you how hard it was. Hopefully, I can make a few putts tomorrow."

Johnson will be paired with Koepka, the defending champion in the event. Justin Rose is four-over, and he will be paired with Henrik Stenson, who is five-over.

Here's a look at the scoreboard after Saturday's round, per PGATour.com.

Top-10 Payout Breakdown (per Golf.com)

A number of golfers had complaints about the toughness of the course. Zach Johnson was the most vociferous, and he said the United States Golf Association lost the golf course.

"When you are 15 or 20 feet (from the hole) and you're trying not to three-putt, that's probably not a proper way to play in my opinion," Johnson said, per Steve DiMeglio of USA Today. "We are going to see sheer carnage out there and it's unfortunate."

Phil Mickelson shot a disastrous 81, and that included a 10 on the 13th hole. Mickelson incurred a two-stroke penalty when he intentionally struck a moving ball after missing a putt.

Mickelson was in violation of Rule 14-5, and the USGA imposed the penalty. However, he could have been disqualified for that action, but that penalty was not imposed.

The story of the third round was the "carnage" on the golf course and Mickelson's strange and illegal actions.

Quality play took a backseat to those issues, and that needs to change Sunday if the 2018 U.S. Open is going to have a chance at being remembered as a special championship.

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Prediction

Johnson had a tough day with his putting, and that's why he struggled to a 77. However, he hits the ball better than anyone, and he is going to put the third round behind him. We like Johnson to play the way he did in the first two rounds and win the tournament and earn the $2,160,000 first prize.

Look for Koepka to stay with Johnson throughout the 18 holes and push his playing partner to the limit. Koepka should finish second, Rose will finish third and we expect Finau to finish fourth.

The fifth-place through 10th-place finishers:

5. Henrik Stenson

6. Daniel Berger

7. Kiradech Aphibarnrat

8. Jim Furyk

9. Tyrrell Hatton

10. Branden Grace