Clark finished his third round at 8:30 PM ET Saturday. It was a ghost town on the 18th green.
Weirdly subdued vibes as Wyndham Clark arrived on the 18 green this evening. Hard to fathom that this was the third round of the US Open.
“It was unfortunate that it went a little flat,” Clark said. “Sometimes it made it hard to stay really focused because it seemed like everyone was on their way.” pic.twitter.com/WeVceLPFo2
— Alan Bastable (@alan_bastable) 21 June 2026
He talked about the lack of crowd during his post-round interview.
“Yeah, it was kind of unfortunate that we end in the dark and people weren’t really out there because there were some obviously important, big moments and it kind of fell 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 everybody who might have been there unlucky.”
The poor attendance actually made it difficult to focus.
“I love to make a big putt and feel it or to hit a good shot and get the claps. So it was a shame it fell a bit flat. Because of that, sometimes it made it hard to stay really focused because it seemed like everyone left and it was like the tournament was over and I had to keep myself really focused and in the moment.”
So what gives? Where is everyone?
The explanation for the lack of audience is threefold.
Tickets did not sell out for any of the four days of the US Open. Not Thursday, not Friday, not Saturday, not Sunday. In fact, it wasn’t even close. Hundreds of tickets were still available for all four rounds, although the USGA and the host club produced something of a recurring theme, with smaller and fewer grandstands and fewer corporate activations and builds
There were fewer tickets for sale. They still weren’t sold out.
Why? Three reasons.
First of all, the Hamptons in the summer are expensive. Lodging near the track is not affordable for the average person. Hotels are limited and expensive. AirBnBs in the area are going for more than $1,000 per night. night. It requires fans to commute.
The Long Island Railroad has a stop just across the street from the track, but the last train back to Penn Station leaves Shinnecock Hills long before the leading group – which started around 3:30pm EST – made the swing onto the back nine. No one who doesn’t summer in the Hamptons will stay. They would be stranded!
To make matters worse, there is only one way in and out of the Hamptons. Even for those who are able to stay within a few miles of the track, the traffic is a nightmare. Driving is basically not an option.
Wyndham Clark’s dominant lead didn’t help. A couple of my friends who live in the New York City area had to buy last minute tickets to the US Open on Saturday or Sunday and hop on the train – but only if it was competitive. It is not…
The tournament was all but over after Clark played the first round without the wind. We’ll see what happens during the final round on Sunday, but assuming he doesn’t choke, he actually won the US Open in a 45-minute window on Thursday.
My friends didn’t want to deal with the logistical nightmare that is Shinnecock Hills when Clark already has such a big lead. I would assume they are not alone in that thinking.
Therefore, for all these reasons, the crowd at the US Open is practically non-existent. It is completely flat.
