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The USGA left ‘tens of millions of dollars’ on the table by deciding to host the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
A new champion will be crowned on the Long Island links come Sunday evening, and as it is at every major, thousands will be crowding the course to witness the winning putt.
But at Shinnecock, the attendance will be significantly lower than elsewhere.
In a piece for The Athletic, Brendan Quinn argued that the USGA has picked ‘history over cash’ for this year’s US Open, in a welcome change for sports.
“Leaving money on the table? Not optimizing every cent out of every square foot? Isn’t the modern sporting landscape supposed to be about money grabs and venture capital knee-bending and entertainment districts built alongside new stadium venues?” Quinn asked.
“This is a world where the Chicago Bears are threatening to move to Hammond, Ind. This is a world where FIFA is asking for thousands of dollars for even the most banal of World Cup matchups.
“This is a golf world where the PGA of America charges $750 for Ryder Cup tickets, and the PGA Tour has taken in $1.5 billion in private equity funding. But then there’s the USGA.”
‘Millions of dollars’ left on the table for US Open
Quinn added that hosting the US Open at Shinnecock required a decision to sell 25 percent fewer tickets than last year’s tournament at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh.
Infrastructure and logistical costs have been raised, and fans have been asked to travel ‘hours upon hours’ to reach the Southampton club.
The Athletic reports that while the USGA made 30,000 tickets available for tournament days, only 21,000 made it through the gates Thursday, followed by 27,000 on Friday.
Come Saturday, USGA CEO Mike Whan was asked how much money was left on the table by playing its biggest event at Shinnecock.
“Tens of millions of dollars,” he replied.
Quinn went on to suggest that US Open attendances have been impacted by major sporting events that are unfolding nearby.
Why has US Open drawn a lower attendance in 2026?
He claims ’empty grandstands greeted the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy’ when they teed off for their opening rounds on Thursday.
That day happened to be shared with the New York Knicks’ NBA Championship parade, which unfolded around 90 miles away, and drew massive crowds to the streets.
The USMNT also played their second World Cup game, a 2-0 win against Australia, in the same TV window as the US Open on Friday.
For Whan, though, the decision to return to Shinnecock for the major was based on sporting merit, and not a cash grab.
“There was no way there was ever going to be more than 155,000 (total) here this week,” he told The Athletic.
“I don’t know what we had at Oakmont, but I’ll bet you it was closer to 215,000. Pinehurst (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, a Riviera, or this.
“If we lived on a diet of Pebble (Beach) and Pinehurst and Oakland Hills, would we be much better off financially? One hundred percent.
“But I’m not sure the championship would be better.”
Stay up to date on all things golf across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.
The USGA left ‘tens of millions of dollars’ on the table by deciding to host the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
A new champion will be crowned on the Long Island links come Sunday evening, and as it is at every major, thousands will be crowding the course to witness the winning putt.
But at Shinnecock, the attendance will be significantly lower than elsewhere.
In a piece for The Athletic, Brendan Quinn argued that the USGA has picked ‘history over cash’ for this year’s US Open, in a welcome change for sports.
“Leaving money on the table? Not optimizing every cent out of every square foot? Isn’t the modern sporting landscape supposed to be about money grabs and venture capital knee-bending and entertainment districts built alongside new stadium venues?” Quinn asked.
“This is a world where the Chicago Bears are threatening to move to Hammond, Ind. This is a world where FIFA is asking for thousands of dollars for even the most banal of World Cup matchups.
“This is a golf world where the PGA of America charges $750 for Ryder Cup tickets, and the PGA Tour has taken in $1.5 billion in private equity funding. But then there’s the USGA.”
‘Millions of dollars’ left on the table for US Open
Quinn added that hosting the US Open at Shinnecock required a decision to sell 25 percent fewer tickets than last year’s tournament at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh.
Infrastructure and logistical costs have been raised, and fans have been asked to travel ‘hours upon hours’ to reach the Southampton club.
The Athletic reports that while the USGA made 30,000 tickets available for tournament days, only 21,000 made it through the gates Thursday, followed by 27,000 on Friday.
Come Saturday, USGA CEO Mike Whan was asked how much money was left on the table by playing its biggest event at Shinnecock.
“Tens of millions of dollars,” he replied.
Quinn went on to suggest that US Open attendances have been impacted by major sporting events that are unfolding nearby.
Why has US Open drawn a lower attendance in 2026?
He claims ’empty grandstands greeted the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy’ when they teed off for their opening rounds on Thursday.
That day happened to be shared with the New York Knicks’ NBA Championship parade, which unfolded around 90 miles away, and drew massive crowds to the streets.
The USMNT also played their second World Cup game, a 2-0 win against Australia, in the same TV window as the US Open on Friday.
For Whan, though, the decision to return to Shinnecock for the major was based on sporting merit, and not a cash grab.
“There was no way there was ever going to be more than 155,000 (total) here this week,” he told The Athletic.
“I don’t know what we had at Oakmont, but I’ll bet you it was closer to 215,000. Pinehurst (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, a Riviera, or this.
“If we lived on a diet of Pebble (Beach) and Pinehurst and Oakland Hills, would we be much better off financially? One hundred percent.
“But I’m not sure the championship would be better.”
Stay up to date on all things golf across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.
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| đź“° PublicaciĂłn: | talksport.com |
| ✍️ Autor: | Oliver Browning |
| đź“… Fecha Original: | 2026-06-21 17:31:00 |
| đź”— Enlace: | Ver artĂculo original |
Nota de transparencia: Este artĂculo ha sido traducido y adaptado del inglĂ©s al español para facilitar su comprensiĂłn. El contenido se mantiene fiel a la fuente original, disponible en el enlace proporcionado arriba.
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