There are lots of benefits that come with being a major champion, but if money means a lot to you, you’ll likely find the paycheck for winning America’s national championship to be outrageously awesome.
In 2017, Brooks Koepka brought home $2.16 million — $360,000 more than Dustin Johnson pocketed the year before. The winner in 2018 will bring home the same as Koepka (breakdown below).
The winner also gets 100 World Ranking points, which can easily catapult him into the rankings’ elite zone — meaning invitations to World Golf Championships, where there is no cut and thus, a continued flow of money. 
And speaking of points, a U.S. Open win is worth 600 PGA Tour FedEx Cup points, so a player will be well on his way to qualifying for the BMW Championship and Tour Championship at the end of the season — two more tournaments with no cut. And for players hoping to make this year’s Ryder Cup team, points-earning power is doubled at the U.S. Open and other major championships. (The European team qualifies via world ranking points and money earned in European Tour events, which include the major championships.)
Now for the exemptions. A U.S. Open win gives you a 10-year exemption into the U.S. Open, a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, and a five-year exemption into the Masters, British Open and PGA Championship. You also receive an invitation to the following year’s Tournament of Champions, which takes place in Maui at the Kapaula Resort during the first week of January and is reserved only for PGA Tour winners. Oh yeah — there’s no cut in that event either.
The winner of the U.S. Open also receives the iconic U.S. Open trophy and U.S. Open Championship gold medal, which is bestowed upon the winner during the trophy ceremony after the conclusion of play. The USGA has presented the medal to winners of the U.S. Open since 1895. In short, not a bad haul for four days of good golf!
PAYOUT BREAKDOWN (TOP 50)
1. $2,160,000
2. $1,296,000
3. $804,023
4. $563,642
5. $469,460
6. $416,263
7. $375,278
8. $336,106
9. $304,188
10. $279,403
11. $254,981
12. $235,757
13. $219,677
14. $202,751
15. $188,243
16. $176,153
17. $166,481
18. $156,809
19. $147,137
20. $137,464
21. $129,122
22. $120,780
23. $112,680
24. $105,184
25. $98,655
26. $93,094
27. $88,862
28. $85,114
29. $81,487
30. $77,860
31. $74,233
32. $70,606
33. $66,979
34. $63,715
35. $61,055
36. $58,395
37. $55,856
38. $53,438
39. $51,020
40. $48,602
41. $46,184
42. $43,766
43. $41,348
44. $38,930
45. $36,512
46. $34,336
47. $32,159
48. $30,104
49. $28,895
50. $27,686
