America 250: Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones was born on March 17, 1902, in Atlanta, Georgia, and became one of the greatest amateur golfers in history. As a teenager, he reached the third round of the U.S. Amateur at age 14, showing early promise. He went on to win 13 major championships, all as an amateur, a record that still stands. In 1930, Jones achieved the
Wyndham Clark secured a six-shot lead through 54 holes at the U.S. Open on Saturday evening, yet as he closed out his third round beneath a picturesque sunset, the extremely sparse galleries and nonexistent atmosphere at Shinnecock Hills were impossible to ignore.
Shinnecock Hills is one of the great championship golf courses on Earth, but it is also a logistical nightmare given its location on Long Island, New York, where getting tens of thousands of fans to and from the property is a never-ending challenge.
Matthew Fitzpatrick of England walks the 18th hole during the third round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 20, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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The crowds throughout the morning and early afternoon action on Saturday were large, vocal and engaged, but as the final groups played their last few holes, the energy from outside the ropes was borderline nonexistent.
“It was kind of unfortunate that we’re finishing in the dark and people weren’t really out there because there were some obviously key, big moments, and it did kind of get a little flat, so yeah, unfortunately,” Clark said after the third round.
“Hopefully, tomorrow there’s a bunch of fans and stuff, but for me, it’s still really important, and I still felt the moment. It’s just maybe unfortunate that there weren’t all the people there.”
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Wyndham Clark of the United States looks on after playing a shot on the 18th hole during the third round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 20, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
The USGA may deserve a bit of criticism for the sparse crowds on Saturday evening, with the final pairing of Matt Fitzpatrick and Clark having a 3:45 p.m. local tee time, but most of the issues fall under transportation.
With a large portion of the fans descending on Shinnecock coming from the boroughs of New York City, the only logical way to get to the property is to take the Long Island Rail Road train from Grand Central Station or Penn Station.
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A Long Island Railroad (LIRR) train to Ronkonkoma at Penn Station in New York, US, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. New York City’s transit system and Long Island Rail Road workers reached a potential labor agreement, ending a historic strike that suspended service on the largest commuter line in the US. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The LIRR provided additional trains to and from the Shinnecock Hills stop on Long Island throughout tournament week, but with the journey being over a four-hour round-trip with multiple stops, fans weren’t left with much of an option other than to get on an early-evening train to get back to the city at a decent hour.
Fans, including families with children, looking to get back to Grand Central Station or Penn Station before 9 p.m. on Saturday had to jump on the 6:07 p.m. train from Shinnecock. The final train from Shinnecock back to the city left at 9:30 p.m., but did not arrive at Grand Central until after midnight.
