Wyndham Clark is not impressed by the crowd at the U.S. Open. He referred to the energy as “flat” and questioned why there are not more fans on the grounds at Shinnecock Hills for a major golf championship.
The 54-hole leader is not alone in his disappointment.
Where is everybody? The golf tournament’s unusually quiet atmosphere can be traced to three main causes.
The U.S. Open is poorly attended.
I picked up on the lack of crowd as early as Thursday morning. The first round of a professional golf tournament will always lack in terms of attendance compared to the weekend but it was even more sleepy than normal.
Lighter than usual U.S. Open crowds over all today at Shinnecock but especially tame here just after 6pm as Bryson DeChambeau's group makes the turn and begins their second nine off the first tee. pic.twitter.com/Ib20KWpJ2m
— David Rumsey (@_DavidRumsey) June 18, 2026
I wrote it off as no big deal. The New York Knicks were celebrating their first NBA title in more than 50 years. The city (and state) wasn’t focused on golf. Some people had to work.
And then it happened again each of the next two days…
Wyndham Clark hit a glorious shot on the Par-5 16th on Saturday to take a seven-shot lead. There was zero crowd pop.
Simply DIVINE shot from 275 out by Wyndham Clark on the par 5 16th 🔥🤯
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 20, 2026
📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/cBjsitq7rR
This was the scene on 17 for the two lead groups during the third round:
@EmptySeatsPics 17th green with two leaders to go and it’s a graveyard. #usopen pic.twitter.com/RZD2KpYiJL
— Tom Bonanza (@tom_bonanza) June 20, 2026
Clark finished his third round at ~8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. It was a ghost town on the 18th green.
Weirdly subdued vibes when Wyndham Clark arrived on 18 green this evening. Hard to fathom this was the third round of the U.S. Open.
— Alan Bastable (@alan_bastable) June 21, 2026
“It was unfortunate it got a little flat,” Clark said. “Sometimes it made it tough to stay really focused bc it seemed like everyone was leaving.” pic.twitter.com/WeVceLPFo2
He spoke about the lack of crowd during his post-round interview.
“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. 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.”
The poor attendance actually made it hard to focus.
“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.”
So what gives? Where is everybody?
The explanation for the lack of crowd is three-fold.
Tickets did not sell out for any of the four days of the U.S. Open. Not Thursday, not Friday, not Saturday, not Sunday. In fact, it was not even close. Hundreds of tickets were still available for all four rounds even though the USGA and host club produced something of a throwback theme, with smaller and fewer grandstands and less corporate activations and buildouts
There were less tickets available for sale. They still did not sell out.
Why? Three reasons.
First and foremost, the Hamptons in the summer are expensive. Lodging near the course is not affordable for the average person. Hotels are limited and costly. AirBnBs in the area go for more than $1,000 a night. That requires fans to commute.
The Long Island Railroad does have a stop right across the street from the course, but the last train back to Penn Station leaves Shinnecock Hills long before the lead group — which teed off around 3:30 p.m. EST — made the turn toward the back nine. No one who doesn’t summer in the Hamptons is going to stay. They’d be stranded!
To make matters worse, there is only one road in and out of the Hamptons. Even for those who are able to stay within a few miles of the course, traffic is a nightmare. Driving is, essentially, not an option.
Wyndham Clark’s dominant lead did not help. A few of my friends who live in the greater New York City area were going to grab last-minute tickets to the U.S. Open on Saturday or Sunday and hop on the train— but only if it was competitive. It’s not…
The tournament was all-but over on after Clark played the first round without any wind. We’ll see what happens during the final round on Sunday but, assuming he does not choke, he effectively won the U.S. Open during a 45-minute window on Thursday.
My friends did not want to deal with the logistical nightmare that is Shinnecock Hills when Clark already has such a huge lead. I would assume they are not alone in that thinking.
Therefore, for all of these reasons, the crowd at the U.S. Open is practically nonexistent. It is completely flat.