Key reasons behind U.S. Opens alarming attendance | Golf News

The growing quantity of vacant seats at the U.S. Open turned more and more troublesome to ignore throughout Saturday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Social media was flooded with observations from informal viewers and seasoned golf journalists alike, all noting the sparse attendance. The thinning crowds have been evident both on tv broadcasts and for those current on a heat Saturday on Long Island.

As Wyndham Clark wrapped up his spherical, Sky Sports commentator Wayne Riley also weighed in on the scenario. “I hate to be a party pooper but everyone has gone home,” he remarked. “Very unusual for a U.S. Open. Not a lot of people still right here.”

However, there’s an clarification.

The USGA has intentionally chosen to place the standard of the golf course and its premium expertise above maximizing ticket gross sales and income.

Mirror US Sports reached out to the USGA on Saturday for a assertion after the subject gained vital traction on platforms such as X. The USGA confirmed that U.S. Open attendance has ranged between 21,000 and 27,000 spectators on championship days throughout the week — roughly 15,000 fewer than the height crowds seen at Oakmont last 12 months.

The USGA also acknowledged that the venue’s location performs a function. Shinnecock Hills sits in the Hamptons on Long Island, partway along the South Fork that stretches out to Montauk.

The journey from New York City includes a two-hour Long Island Rail Road experience, with the last direct prepare back to Penn Station departing at 7:10 pm. The closing connecting prepare leaves at 9:30 pm, arriving at 11:48 pm.

This logistical problem is probably going to deter even more Sunday attendees, notably those dealing with a Monday workday.

Despite acknowledging he is forgoing tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in income, USGA CEO Mike Whan stays unfazed.

“We’re not sitting around and stressing about being here and what that means,” he told The Athletic.

“There was no way there was ever going to be more than 155,000 (total) here this week,” he continued. “I don’t know what we had at Oakmont, but I’ll bet you it was closer to 215,000. Pinehurst (Resort in 2024) was like 250,000. But that’s the tradeoff. Because you have a Pinehurst and an Oakmont, I feel like you can do a Merion (Golf Club), a Riviera (Country Club), or this.

“If we lived on a diet of Pebble (Beach Golf Links) and Pinehurst and Oakland Hills (Country Club), would we be a lot better off financially? One hundred p.c. But I’m not sure the championship can be better.”

While it is commendable that the USGA is ready to sacrifice substantial earnings in favor of custom and the integrity of the sport, a lack of ambiance was felt as the leaders wrapped up their Saturday rounds.

That subdued ambiance may very effectively forged a shadow over the match’s closing spherical on Sunday.