Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Reigning U.S. Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick clarified that his quote about the USGA wasn’t criticism. Then what was it?
Despite what is shaping up to be a fantastic tournament, fans and media alike have been roasting the USGA for this U.S. Open. Even players jumped on that wagon, including reigning champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick seemed to criticize the lack of crowds and raucous environment at the Los Angeles Country Club. Saturday night though, he walked those sentiments back.
Golf Digest posted a story about the quote, and Fitzpatrick tweeted, “To clarify not criticising USGA…”
What happened for him to change his mind so quickly?
“Very poor. It’s disappointing on the USGA side,” Fitzpatrick said to Dan Rapoport of Barstool Sports. “They want a great tournament—from what I’ve heard, a lot of [country club] members bought tickets, and that’s why there’s so many less people. Hopefully, it’s not the same for other U.S. Opens going forward.”
Fitzpatrick was clearly disappointing with the USGA and choice of venue.
The United States Golf Association reportedly sold 22,000 daily tickets to the general public. That number feels large, but the PGA Championship in little Rochester, New York, sold 40,000 daily.
Beyond that, out of the 22,000 daily tickets sold, only 8,000 were to the general public. You know, the people who make the most noise. The other 14,000 were sold to suite, skybox and other private-club type tickets, per GolfDigest.
That has left many feeling like this tournament has not felt like a typical U.S. Open. Some have even gone so far as to refer to it as the ‘Corporate Open.’
This ticket debacle isn’t growing the game but limiting it to a select percentage of people who can afford the near $400 price tag.
