Jack Nicklaus reacts to the prize fund for this year’s US Open being set at $21.5m

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It’s safe to say that if you’re a golfer on the PGA Tour and competing in majors, then you aren’t going to be short of a few dollars in the bank.

Over time, the purses attached to golf events have grown and grown, with players now taking home six figures sometimes just for making a cut.

In terms of big prize funds, they don’t get much bigger than the US Open. This week’s event at Oakmont will see a whopping $21.5m shared out among the field, with the winner alone taking home $4.3m.

• READ MORE: Tyrrell Hatton says if he feels more confident at the US Open as Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler aren’t in contention

These figures, of course, are in stark contrast to the amounts the game’s greats like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan made. Yes, things are relative in terms of periods in time, but as a rule of thumb, the prize pots in 2025 are huge compared to decades previous.

Now, speaking on the sheer size of the prize fund at Oakmont, both Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller have been giving their thoughts on the money involved in golf.

Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller give verdict on US Open prize fund

Both Miller and Nicklaus are two living legends in the game of golf and while they’ve enjoyed a more than comfortable living from the game, the money they made seems paltry compared to even the average modern player.

However, when discussing the increasing prize pots at Oakmont this week, Nicklaus was as classy as ever in his assessment on having more money.

“Actually I don’t think it would have made any difference. We played in a time when it was what it was. I think I won $13,000 when I won here in ’62. I don’t know what your prize was, Johnny, probably 20, 25,000?,” Nicklaus said speaking alongside former US Open winner Miller.

“Yeah, when you won, the lesser tournaments were like $20,000 and good tournaments was $25,000 for first place, and the bigger ones were $30,000 in our era,” Miller added.

“That’s what it was,” Nicklaus continued. “Would I have loved to have had what’s going on here when we played? Yeah. Obviously all of us would. But I also was really pleased that — I know Johnny and myself both trail blazed the way for what’s happening today. I think if you look back at Hogan and Snead and those guys, they trail blazed it for us. I don’t know how far off I am, but like Hogan’s lifetime earnings were like 400-some thousand dollars. The guys today, you see they’re winning ten times that to win the tournament here.

“But would it have changed our lives? I would hope not. I would hope that we probably would try to live our life very similar. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done. I’ve loved playing the game of golf. I’ve loved my design work. I love being involved with being able to take and utilize what I have to be able to — in charity and help others.

“They’re all things that I don’t think that would have made any difference, whether we were playing for what we played for or what they’re playing here today. If we would have had the ability to do this, I think we would have tried to do the same thing.”

Rounding off the conversation, Miller then explained what the biggest difference in the modern game is now when it comes to the money earned.

“The big difference is the guys make so much money that, what do you think? It helps that you’re hungry and playing hard. It used to be you had to make some money to be able to take care of your wife and maybe child or whatever, and it made golf more of a competitive thing and guys would play more tournaments because they’re trying to make it while they can,” Miller continued.

“We had to win tournaments to make a name to make a living. Today they make a living playing golf,” added Nicklaus.

• READ MORE: Denny McCarthy reveals how golfers are reacting on site at the US Open after playing Oakmont, ‘It’s a punch in the face’

How much Jack Nicklaus earned on the PGA Tour

Jack Nicklaus has made more than enough from golf to be comfortable in life but when it comes to the actual figures from golf tournaments, the number is pretty low in comparison to 2025’s figures.

With the winner at this week’s US Open pocketing north of $4m, Nicklaus’ career earnings on the PGA Tour amount to $5,734,031, according to the PGA’s website.

Remarkably, Nicklaus added another $3,372,207 playing on the Champions Tour, despite playing just 84 events compared to the near 600 he played on the main tour.

That in itself proves how quickly the amounts on offer have grown.

The sheer idea of what Nicklaus might have earned in the modern era is hard to comprehend but you’d imagine he’d be right up there with the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and now, Scottie Scheffler.