A first-time U.S Open qualifier has detailed how much he made (and paid) to take part in one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf.
James Nicholas made his much-anticipated debut at Oakmont Country Club this month, after completing his painstaking journey from local and finals qualifying to making the cut at the 125th edition of this year's U.S. Open.
And to his credit, the 28-year-old turned what must have been a nerve-wracking opening round into a very respectable one-under-par 69, which left him on the first page of the leaderboard after Day 1.
He would post a second-round 78 to make the cut at his very first major, followed by a weekend score of 75 and 77, meaning the Korn Ferry Tour pro walked away with a 61st-place finish and $43,887 of the $21.5 million purse on offer.
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In a video to his 380,000 followers on TikTok, Nicholas gave a fascinating insight into his biggest expenses, which turned out to be his qualifying fees, as well as his caddie’s salary and bonus.
In total, Nicholas spent around $7,220 to compete at the U.S. Open, but he did mention how his sponsors contributed a number of items such as a rangefinder, balls and new shoes.
In fact, one of his sponsors gifted Nicholas a free flight back to New York aboard a private jet.
Other expenses included flights, food and all the other essentials – which cost him $2,186. He also forked out $250 on goodies at the merchandise tent at Oakmont.
Nicholas, who gave his caddie a $2,500 base salary for the week regardless of the outcome and an eight per cent bonus, which came to another $3,500, also mentions that he spent $315 on groceries.
He also gave the locker room staff $150 for their support throughout the week.
As mentioned above, Nicholas earned $43,544 after making the cut and finishing T-61, although he officially took home $34,894 following expenses.
“Definitely a bigger purse than your average Korn Ferry event,” Nicholas said. “Wish I had played a bit better on the weekend but will build off it."
Summing up his week on Instagram, the 28-year-old added: "What an incredible week. A dream come true to play in my first U.S. Open and throw out a first pitch at an MLB game. Thank you to everyone who came out to watch and for all of the kind messages.
"So much to learn from and build on from this week. Let’s keep pushing."
Jack Kenmare