U.S. Open Payout Philosophy

One question that Shannon and I get often is why do we pay so deep into the field at the U.S.Open. We pay the top 96 players rather than the common 64-player payout. The reason is really quite simple. The U.S. Open draws the greatest players from throughout the world as well as from across the entire Untied States and they all incur hefty travel expenses to participate in our event. By paying deeply these players are able to recoup at least some of these travel expenses and that shows them that we appreciate the efforts they take to travel all the way to the United States and play here.

Certainly, we could pay out only the top 64 and have a larger headline number to brag about how much we pay the very top finishers. But an event of this size is more than just the top few players, it is everyone who brings a cue and takes their shot on the tables. Even so, the top 4 finishers still take a little over 30% of the total prize fund and we know that this is fair to everyone. We deeply appreciate all of the players who come and we want them to know that so we pay them deep. It is really just as simple as that. With that in mind, these are the payouts for the 2012 edition of the U.S. Open:

TOTAL PAYOUT: $170,000

1) $25,000
2) $15,000
3) $10,000
4) $6,000
5-6) $4,000 each
7-8) $3,000 each
9-12) $2,000 each
13-16) $1,800 each
17- 24) $1,600 each
25-32) $1,400 each
33-48) $1,200 each
49-64) $1,000 each
65-96) $800 each

It is with heartfelt gratitude that we thank all of the players, fans , vendors, staff and sponsors who together help us each year to create this wonderful event. Shannon and I hope to see all of you again next year and we are already working to make the 2013 U.S. Open the best ever. Thanks again to everyone.

Best Wishes,
Barry and Shannon