Where Did All The Fans Go At The US Open?

Wyndham Clark strolled to the finish line on Saturday evening at Shinnecock Hills to open up a six-stroke lead heading into the US Open final round, but sparse galleries made for a tame atmosphere and little excitement for TV viewers.

The final group went out at 3.45pm local time - giving vibes of 'twilight golf' at LACC in 2023 - as fans headed for the exits well before the last pairing finished out post-8pm.

So where were all the fans?

Shinnecock Hills and Long Island is a remote part of the country, and spectators have either the road or rail to get in-and-out.

I was surprised to hear on the No Laying Up podcast that the train to Manhattan takes 2hrs 30mins, so it's fairly easy to see why so many were leaving early.

The last direct train back to Manhattan's Penn Station was 7.10pm, well before the final group had finished. The only options post 7.10pm required you to change trains.

"Truly the only whiff of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock is just how early fans have to leave to catch the last train back to the city," the Fried Egg's Kevin Van Valkenburg tweeted.

"They are just POURING for the exits right now and the leaders are on Hole 6."

We've heard plenty of stories this week of journeys on road taking 1-2 hours with the infamous Long Island traffic causing logistical issues for fans, media and others involved with the championship.

Why the USGA always sets the weekend tee times so late is somewhat of a mystery, but a 3.45pm final tee time does not help with creating a buzzing atmosphere late into the day when fans have got homes to get back to.

The US Open final round tee times see the last group out at 2.30pm so it will be an earlier finish on Sunday.

There are a couple of mitigating factors, as well, with Wyndham Clark essentially rendering the 2026 US Open done and dusted on Saturday evening with multiple clutch up-and-downs before a sensational eagle at the par 5 16th.

He opened up a seven-stroke lead at that point before giving one back at the last, which gives Scottie Scheffler somewhat of a hope ahead of the final round where he is seeking to catch Clark and complete the career grand slam.

The leaderboard is strong with good depth but it has lacked star power.

If Rory McIlroy was leading then there may have been more people sticking around, while golf's most popular figure Bryson DeChambeau didn't even make the weekend.

In fact, a whole host of big names missed the cut including Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka, just to name four others.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are also not in the field.

Wyndham Clark was asked about the small galleries late in the day, and he admitted the atmosphere was "unfortunate" and felt a "little flat."

"Yeah, it was kind of unfortunate that we're finishing in the dark and people weren't really out there because there were some obviously key, big moments, and it did kind of get a little flat, so yeah, unfortunately," he said.

"Hopefully tomorrow there's a bunch of fans and stuff, but for me, it's still really important, and I still felt the moment. It's just maybe unfortunate that there weren't all the people there."

He even likened the galleries to those following someone in 50th place.

"Yeah, actually I can when I was in, like, 50th place or something," he responded when asked if he can remember such small crowds.

"It's a little unfortunate. I don't know if it's because we finished so late or what, but it's okay. I am still excited to be where I'm at, and I'm not really focusing on that part.

"I love the energy. I love making a big putt and feeling that or hitting a good shot and getting the claps. So it was unfortunate it got a little flat.

"Also, because of that, sometimes it made it tough to stay really focused because it seemed like everyone was leaving, and it was like the tournament was over, and I had to keep myself really focused and in the present.

"I didn't do my best job; I made kind of two poor bogeys coming in. Hopefully there's people there tomorrow and it's a great atmosphere."

The number of fans on-site each day is reported to be around 25,000, which is said to be 15,000 down vs Oakmont last year and well shy on the 2024 figure from Pinehurst.

"There was no way there was ever going to be more than 155,000 here this week," USGA CEO Mike Whan told The Athletic.

"I don’t know what we had at Oakmont [last year], but I’ll bet you it was closer to 215,000. Pinehurst (2024) was like 250,000. But that’s the tradeoff."

The tradeoff for the USGA is lower revenue from ticket sales and a subdued atmosphere, but a venue that is considered to be one of the best in the world with a great history.

The USGA should be commended for that, but it could have perhaps worked a little harder to get more fans on-site and watching until the end.