With the US Open currently in its final rounds, golfers are vying to solidify their legacies for a chance to win the covered silver trophy.
Apart from framing their careers, these majors also provide a golden chance for players to interact with their fans. The tension, the sweat of the players, and the cheers from the crowd are what make any game more beautiful. But something crucial is lacking in this scene.
USGA limiting the tickets
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At the LACC, Rickie Fowler is the name that is currently shining the brightest. First, by shooting an 8-under 62 in the opening round, he and Xander Schauffele made history. He also went on to make eight birdies in the second round, moving him into the lead in the competition. But something is missing from his exceptional game, and that is the crowd.?
Dave Portnoy recently posted a video of Fowler making the putt. Additionally, the video’s caption read: “Honestly the lack of a crowd at a #usopen is disgusting. This is Rickie Fowler dropping a bomb from Mars and it’s basically crickets.”
Honestly the lack of a crowd at a #usopen is disgusting. This is Rickie Fowler dropping a bomb from Mars and it's basically crickets pic.twitter.com/YejGnpGLSq
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 18, 2023
After making a good putt, Fowler took a two-shot lead on Saturday. There should be a lively atmosphere here, but there were fewer crowds. The USGA restricted the number of tickets, which is why there were relatively few attendees. This year, the number of tickets dropped from 45,000 to barely 22,000. The scale of the course has logistical implications, which account for the considerable difference. In addition to the limited number of tickets sold, it is widely believed that LACC members made up majority of the ticket purchasers. On its Twitter page, Kiwi Golf Lover expressed its opinion regarding the number of seats.
Looks a bit shit on TV. If it’s true that many LACC members bought tickets but had little or no intention of going to stop public access, that is ridiculous. The US Open needs to get back to publicly accessible courses. No matter how good it is to play.
— Kiwi Golf Lover (@kiwigolfrentals) June 18, 2023
After Fowler’s historic?round sparked discussion, the USGA rules became the subject of much discussion this time.
Fans react to Portnoy’s tweet regarding the missing crowd
Golf fans watching from home have not been impressed. They concurred with Portnoy that the US Open is becoming less exciting due to the lack of spectators. Let’s look at what the fans had to say:
I’ve been here all weekend
They limited tickets to 22k
And most are super rich people who are in those tents.
Less than half the crowd at a normal US Open
And they even less because they are all in hospitality tents.— Ian Dickey (@IanDickey4) June 18, 2023
https://twitter.com/twentypiece/status/1670277357926752256?s=20
This feels like the covid majors. Very strange. Never go back to lacc again
— JEFF TAYLOR (@Jeff_Taylor_05) June 18, 2023
Agree. Watching live I even questioned if it was just a network replay with volume low. Bizarre lack of atmosphere.
— coastalcager 🏕 (@Coastal_Cager) June 18, 2023
This reminds me of one of those “The Match” Events with a couple celebs playing and nobody around. Fun to watch on tv but weird that nobody is around. I completely agree mr. Portnoy
— Bob O. (@Boboporkbelly) June 18, 2023
Couldn’t agree more
— KP 🍊 (@KPCharlie3872) June 18, 2023
While many fans explained why there wasn’t much of a turnout.
You do know that they had to limit tickets due to the fact the course could not hold more than 20K right? Know your facts before you bust a bad take. 🤡
— Beat The Bookz (@Beatthebookz) June 18, 2023
https://twitter.com/SixOneFore/status/1670298839717232642?s=20
The course is not crowd friendly for a big turn out.
— SusannahOfTroy (@schisback) June 18, 2023
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The USGA limited ticket sales to 22000 per day. This is a crammed golf course and a foot bridge over Wilshire Blvd had to be built to accommodate parking….etc. You should know that.
— Liz Rotellini (@Lizrote1) June 18, 2023
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What do you think about the limited crowd and the tweets? Let us know in the comments below.