At $30,000, the 2016 U.S. Open will have the lowest first prize since 1983 when Gary Dickinson earned $24,000 for beating Steve Neff for the title in the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn.
The pay ratio also is being reduced from the 1-in-3 last year back to the 1-in-4 it traditionally was.
However, the overall prize fund is projected at $226,960 with 252 entries, compared to the $210,990 with 275 entries last year (if my adding skills didn&rsquo;t fail me).
That comes in part from an entry fee...

The 24th place check will be the highest since the glory days of the Seagram’s Coolers U.S. Open when first was $100,000 and 24th $3,800 in 1987, 1988 and 1989. The entry fee will rise from $400 last year to $500 this year, $550 on site.

2016 U.S. Open prize list flattened with $30,000 for first, $3,250 for 24th; pay ratio cut from 1-3 to traditional 1-4