What are the US Open cut rules?
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How many players will make the weekend at Oakmont? These are the US Open cut rules…
Before players can go on and challenge for a US Open title, the first obstacle they must overcome is making the 36-hole cut. So, what are the US Open cut rules?
It is renowned as one of the most brutal examinations in the game, so making the weekend is an achievement in itself and usually means you still have a shot at claiming the trophy.
Before we get to how the cut at a US Open is calculated…
US Open cut records
There are various cut records that have been set and broken in the long history of this prestigious tournament.
At 17 years and three months, Beau Hossler became the youngest player to make the US Open cut since World War II in 2012 at the Olympic Club.
At the other end of the scale, Sam Snead was 61 when he made the weekend at Oakmont in 1973, making him the oldest player to get through.
The highest the 36-hole cut also came at Olympic, in 1955, and was a whopping 15-over-par.
In contrast and much more recently, the 2-over-par cut at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023 is the lowest in the tournament’s history.
Finally, the highest number of players to make the cut at America’s national championship is 108. This happened at Oakland Hills in 1996, the year Steve Jones added his name to the list of surprise US Open winners.
Do players who miss the cut still get paid?
The total US Open purse is $21.5 million, making it the most lucrative of the four men’s majors.
The champion will pocket a tidy $4.3m, but what about those who failed to make the weekend.
Well, unlike most regular tournaments, players still get rewarded for missing the cut in the men’s majors. Not too shabby a deal, eh?
Each major does it differently, but at the US Open, those who play Thursday and Friday before packing their bags still get $10,000 for their efforts. This only applies to professionals, though.
What are the current US Open cut rules?
Barring any late withdrawals, of the 156 players that start the event on Thursday, the top 60 and ties make the cut and get a chance to feature on the weekend.
Given the stern nature of the challenge, the cut number can often be pretty high. At Pinehurst last year, for example, it fell at 5-over-par.
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US Open cut rules explained.
