Tiny U.S. Open Crowds Were an Embarrassing Disaster
Wyndham Clark never will forget the 2023 U.S. Open, where he won his first major championship in impressive fashion and forever changed his career.
You know who will want to forget the 2023 U.S. Open? Every fan who watched it on television, because between Paul Azinger’s awful analysis to the tiny crowds at Los Angeles Country Club, much of this tournament—our country’s national championship—was an embarrassing disaster that never should be repeated.
The biggest problem at LACC was the lack of atmosphere we’re accustomed to seeing at the U.S. Open. The crowds were small and quiet for the most part, and there’s a reason why they were like that—the USGA and LACC teamed up to make it impossible for large crowds to walk the grounds of the extremely private country club:
Those numbers are stunning and show why average fans who wanted to show up to celebrate our country’s biggest golf tournament had no chance of even getting through the gates. The whole thing was pretty much a corporate outing, which didn’t play well at all on TV or even on the grounds.
The lack of atmosphere wasn’t just noticed by fans watching at home. Last year’s U.S. Open champion, Matthew Fitzpatrick, sounded of on the topic after Saturday’s third round:
What makes things even worse is that LACC already has been awarded the 2039 U.S. Open, which is a thing that shouldn’t happen after these past four days:
LACC is a world-class golf course, but the U.S. Open should be a championship that’s played in front of the masses. That didn’t happen this time around, and golf fans were not happy about it.