The US Open champion gets one of the truly unique trophies in golf: the US Open trophy. US Open champions then leave tournament site and are seen around the country and throughout the world with the trophy as a symbol of their remarkable achievement.
Many golf fans wonder if the US Open champion gets to keep the trophy permanently, or if not forever, for how long.
How long does the US Open winner get to keep the trophy?
US Open champions get to keep the trophy for a year. From the day they win the US Open trophy, winners can take the trophy wherever they wish. When the week of the next year's US Open tournament starts, players are expected to bring back the trophy and give it back to the USGA. It's often done in a bit of a ceremonial fashion.
If a US Open winner successfully defends their title, then they're able to keep the trophy for another year, from the date of that next US Open win to the start of the next US Open tournament. That is a rare achievement, and Brooks Koepka is the last to do it back in 2017 and 2018.
The tradition of presenting the US Open winner is as long as the tournament itself. The winner also gets a medal, dubbed since 2012 the Jack Nicklaus medal, that they get to keep. It was first awarded to Horace Rawlins in 1895 after winning the first US Open.
For most US Open winners, it's a great year of their lives to be able to have the trophy in their possession. However, while they're only able to look at the US Open trophy for a year, they also receive and have the option to receive a replica trophy for their home or trophy mantle.
