11 Perks Wyndham Clark Gets For Winning The 2026 US Open
Winning the US Open is one of the biggest achievements in the game, and there are some amazing perks that Wyndham Clark gets for winning it again
Anyone who becomes a Major champion has their name etched into golf's history books, but there are several other benefits that come with hoisting the US Open trophy.
Here are are some of the perks this week's US Open champion Wyndham Clark gets for his gritty victory at Shinnecock Hills...
1. Another US Open Trophy
The trophy handed to the winner is a replica, with the original in the USGA museum in New Jersey
As strange as it may seem, when you see the trophy being presented to the US Open champion, it's not the actual trophy. That's because it is a permanent fixture of the USGA Museum in New Jersey.
Instead, Wyndham Clark will receive a full-size replica that he can keep for the duration of his reign.
Once he hands it back at Pebble Beach in 2027, he gets a slightly smaller replica trophy to keep for good. This has been the case since 1986, when the real trophy was retired.
So that means he'll now have two US Open trophies...as well as two Jack Nicklaus Medals.
2. Another Jack Nicklaus Medal
The Jack Nicklaus Medal has been awarded since 2012
A gold medal has been handed to the winner since 1895, but at that time, the champions' club would get the trophy.
The medal had originally been nameless, like the trophy, and neither did it have a standard design.
That all changed in 2012, when it was finally named the Jack Nicklaus Medal and designed with an image of the Golden Bear's famous swing on it.
The 18-time Major winner is one of a quartet of players to win the US Open four times, along with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan.
3. Money
The US Open prize money payout is the joint-largest of the men's Majors with a total purse of $22.5m and a winner's check of $4.5m.
That figure is up $200,000 from the total won by JJ Spaun last year at Oakmont. $4.5m is among the highest prizes in the game, equal to The Players Championship winner's check.
It is Wyndham Clark's largest ever career payday and takes his career earnings to over $38m on the PGA Tour.
4. Hall of Champions
The Hall of Champions, the signature architectural space in the Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History at the USGA museum in New Jersey, celebrates every USGA champion and championship to date.
The oval rotunda is illuminated by a clerestory and houses the original 16 USGA national championship trophies.
Wyndham Clark will now have his name once again inscribed into one of the bronze panels that encircle the room along with every other USGA champion. Very cool.
5. 10-year US Open exemption
Clark gets to come back for the next ten years
Clark will have peace of mind knowing he now automatically qualifies for every single US Open up until 2036.
The US Open future venues are cemented until then so we know that his final US Open under the current exemption would be in ten years' time back at Shinnecock Hills.
The US Open winner's exemption is actually the lowest of all four men's Majors. The Masters and PGA Championship offer lifetime exemptions, while the Open Championship allows winners to compete until the age of 55.
6. Major exemptions
US Open winners get to play in the other three men's Majors for the next five years
As well as a ten-year US Open spot, US Open winners get access into the next five editions of each of the other three men's Majors.
That means a US Open win guarantees another 25 Major starts.
7. Senior Golf
When they turn 50, the US Open winner can play in the next five US Senior Opens
A US Open win also sets you up for post-50 golf too, with champions getting invites to the US Senior Open for five years. Clark already had this perk, though.
He will also receive invitations to the Senior Open and Senior PGA Championship - again, perks he was already entitled to.
8. PGA Tour card
Away from the Majors, Clark also receives a five-year exemption into The Players Championship and secures his PGA Tour card for the same amount of time.
That's some job security.
9. Ranking Points
Clark will also get a big bump up the Official World Golf Ranking with the joint-highest total of points on offer.
All Majors offer 100 OWGR points, while the next-best Players Championship offers 80.
He should return to the world's top 10 once again.
10. Presidents Cup points
Clark's Shinnecock hills win will go a long way to qualifying him for Team USA's 2026 Presidents Cup team, which would be his second appearance.
The USA's points system is based on FedEx Cup points, with the top six in the standings by the cut-off date will automatically qualify for the teams.
11. FedEx Cup points
Major winners, and Players Championship winners, who are PGA Tour members pick up 750 FedEx Cup points so Clark will get a big bump up in the standings and almost certainly guarantee his spot for the season-ending Tour Championship.
Signature Events give 700 to their winners, while regular events offer 500.
The biggest FedEx Cup points actually come during the Playoffs, where 2,000 points go to the winners of the first two events.
