ARDMORE, Pa. — Let the record reflect, now and forever, that at least some things were not perfect about this U.S. Amateur.
For one thing, the line at the merchandise tent was long and inventory for a handful of boutique golf brands ran low (’twas not the week to go looking for a cotton polo with a wicker basket logo). For another, the practice range was far from the golf course and not easy for the average fan to reach. And for a third, a small number of Merion members appeared miffed by the grave indignity of hosting one of the biggest events in golf at their home course … and surprised that such a pursuit involved welcoming real people to the golf course.
We speak these criticisms because complaints have been impressively hard to find at this 126th U.S. Amateur at the esteemed Merion Golf Club in Philadelphia. The tournament has been delightful, a mix of great talent and great drama and great pressure and great commitment to golf’s most elemental professional signifier: Amateur. The golf has been sublime, evidenced by heavy tournament favorite Miles Russell’s stunning round-of-64 departure on Wednesday afternoon. The golf course has been spectacular, a blend of hunter and kelly greens so perfectly coiffed and immaculately presented they’d make even Saquon Barkley blush. Hell, even the attire has been good — even if most of that belongs to the fedora-wearing, collar-popping early hero of tournament week, Matt Lowe. (Who revealed Wednesday afternoon that his U.S. Amateur virality was hiding far more substance than style.)
It is trite to say these things make the U.S. Amateur great, because the truth is that they make the U.S. Amateur the greatest. In a sport whose social media comment sections have increasingly turned to the interminable phrase “shrink” — as in shrink the game; or remove these losers, leave it just for us — this U.S. Amateur is a place where the shrinking happens naturally. You have to be a diehard, a sicko, someone of unusual golf character and commitment, to show up at a U.S. Am. (Interestingly, if the crowd behavior this week at Merion is any indication, those commenters appear to have stayed home.)
The truth is that the U.S. Amateur is golf in its purest, most unmitigated form: a splendid walk in some well-maintained woods. You’re not going to get an autograph or a picture, and even if you did, they wouldn’t be worth much. You’re not going there to see a celebrity, unless you were really plugged into the daily goings-on of Jason Kelce and Charles Barkley, two sports heroes who traveled to see the action from outside the ropes this weekend. You’re not going to wait in line to hit a shot at a marketing pop-up or hospitality tent (mostly because those don’t exist here). And you’re certainly not going to worry about getting a sightline; as Gaven Lane stood over his approach on the 18th on Thursday afternoon, he was flanked by a few hundred fans standing directly behind him … in the fairway.
It is golf that trusts its fans to showcase the traits of respect and honor that have underpinned the sport from the beginning. It is golf where the spectating effort is low, and the enjoyment is very high. This week, the setting is one of the best golf courses on earth, a short drive from one of the country’s largest major metropolitan areas, but it features entertainment so scintillating that it is easy to lose all sense of your location while you’re watching, say, a stranger grind over a 10-footer to cling to 1-up.
If you’re paying attention, Mr. Rolapp, I’m speaking to you: This is what you’re looking for.
Back in June, PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp announced the changes to the PGA Tour postseason format aimed at making it more like the U.S. Amateur. The “new” PGA Tour postseason, which will start in 2028, will feature one stroke play event to crown a “season-long winner” followed by a multi-day match play event “contested across a rotating list of prestigious courses — many of which the PGA Tour would play for the first time.”
The thesis of the new match play event hasn’t been fully announced yet, but it seems safe to say it will borrow much from the U.S. Amateur: smaller crowds, elite courses, a smaller footprint, no shortage of match play drama. It also seems safe to suggest that the new thesis will follow Rolapp’s stated goals for the rest of the Tour: big cities, big media markets, big TV interest. On nearly every single account, Philadelphia fits the billing. Merion is a pipe dream, but it certainly fits the billing, too.
For years, match play has been written off in professional golf as a TV problem. The conventional wisdom says there is too little happening, and far too much walking, for the viewer to stay attuned. Rolapp, who has built his entire career upon his television prowess, is banking on the opposite, believing that the natural drama of a match will keep the golf world entertained with the whole season on the line.
There are, of course, some details for the PGA Tour leader to iron out. What constitutes a “prestigious course” in the PGA Tour’s eyes might not quite match the same definition in the eyes of the USGA. What constitutes a smaller, sleeker buildout might still be several standard deviations larger than what we are seeing at Merion this week. There are contracts and negotiations and memberships to win over and venues to pursue. There are TV schedules to build and fans to win over. But the point stands: The U.S. Amateur has proved it can be done. They’re doing it right now.
For the rest of this weekend, some of the best amateur golfers on earth will showcase golf in its best form on one of its greatest courses. If you happen to stumble in front of it on television, I’m betting you won’t look away.
Here’s hoping golf’s powers that be are among those with their televisions on and their eyes popping out of their heads.
The future of golf is on display at Merion, and I’m not talking about the amateurs.
You can reach the author at james.colgan@golf.com.
