The USGA pushed all final-round tee times at the 2026 U.S. Open forward by 1 hour and 15 minutes on Sunday after sparse late galleries marred Saturday’s third round at Shinnecock Hills. The final pairing of Wyndham Clark and Scottie Scheffler will now tee off at 2:30 p.m. ET, compared to the 3:45 p.m. start Clark and Matt Fitzpatrick had on Saturday. The first group of the day was moved from 9:00 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.

Clark, who carries a six-shot lead into the final round at 7-under, said the emptying course made it difficult to stay locked in during the back nine of a major championship.

“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,”

Clark said after his third-round 70.

He said the exodus created a mental challenge late in the round: “Sometimes it made it tough to stay really focused because it seemed like everyone was leaving, and it was like the tournament was over.”

Asked whether he could remember playing before such small crowds, Clark compared the scene to following a player in 50th place.

Why did the Crowd Leave Early at the US Open on Saturday?

The logistics of reaching Shinnecock Hills, located in Southampton on Long Island’s South Fork, were central to the issue. There is no general fan parking on the grounds of the club. The USGA’s own fan guide directed spectators to take the Long Island Rail Road to a temporary station adjacent to the championship site, or to park at remote lots and ride shuttles.

According to the official LIRR schedule for the championship week, the last direct westbound train from Shinnecock Hills to Penn Station left at 7:10 p.m. on the weekend timetable. Later trains ran at 8:00, 8:47, and 9:30 p.m., but all required a transfer. The final group was still on course past 8 p.m. local time.

According to The Mirror, the USGA estimated that roughly 40% of attendees relied on the LIRR to reach the venue.

Golf writer Kevin Van Valkenburg of The Fried Egg captured the scene on social media as the leaders played the sixth hole:

“They are just POURING for the exits right now.”

A Venue Tradeoff

Shinnecock Hills is one of the most celebrated courses in championship golf, but it operates under tighter access constraints than recent U.S. Open venues. Daily attendance was reported at around 25,000, roughly 15,000 fewer per day than Oakmont hosted last year. The weekly total was projected well below the estimated 250,000 who attended the 2024 championship at Pinehurst.

USGA CEO Mike Whan acknowledged the gap in comments to The Athletic. “There was no way there was ever going to be more than 155,000 here this week,” Whan said. “I don’t know what we had at Oakmont, but I’ll bet you it was closer to 215,000. Pinehurst was like 250,000. But that’s the tradeoff.”

The leaderboard also gave fans fewer reasons to stay. Clark’s eagle at the par-5 16th, the first made there all week, briefly stretched his lead to seven shots. He bogeyed the 18th to settle at six clear of Scheffler, who shot 1-under 69 and sits at 1-under for the tournament. Rory McIlroy made five bogeys on the back nine and fell out of realistic contention. Bryson DeChambeau, one of golf’s biggest crowd draws, missed the cut entirely.

Sunday’s Adjusted Window

The 75-minute shift gives Sunday’s final round a better chance of holding spectators through the finish. Clark and Scheffler are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET, with other notable pairings including Matt Fitzpatrick and Collin Morikawa at 1:35 p.m. and Tommy Fleetwood and Xander Schauffele at 1:46 p.m. Akshay Bhatia and McIlroy go out at 12:13 p.m.

Clark said he hoped the adjustment would help.

“Hopefully there’s people there tomorrow and it’s a great atmosphere. I love the energy. I love making a big putt and feeling that or hitting a good shot and getting the claps.”

It will be interesting to see how the earlier tees time and earlier finish it will impact the crowds following Clark in his final round. With all sport, fans love an exciting climax so if Clark maintains his 6 shot lead into the final few holes it could influence those wanting to avoid the post ceremony exodus.