Merion and Philly fans shine again with record-breaking crowds at the U.S. Amateur
Attendance marks will be shattered as thousands flock to see the latest big event at a marquee course in the region that birthed the golf explosion in America more than a century ago.
Move over Florida, California, and New York City. There’s a new golf Mecca, same as the old golf Mecca.
More than 2,700 fans made their way to the lush fairways at Merion Golf Club on Friday, making it the best-attended single day in U.S. Amateur history, according to a United States Golf Association spokesperson. By the time the Am ends Sunday evening, as many as 20,000 fans are expected to have entered the main gate at the iconic, tiny par-3 13th hole, blowing away the record of 14,000 set last year at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
An hour after the final putt dropped, more than 200 fans waited in line to buy U.S. Am gear at the pro shop.
Surprised? Don’t be.
It’s Philly. It’s golf.
It’s back.
Marcus Hayes alerts
At the turn of the 20th century, Philadelphia was the epicenter of the golf explosion in the United States, where Donald Ross and A.W. Tillinghast and Merion architect Hugh Wilson carved masterpiece after masterpiece. As the PGA Tour migrated ever more south and west, the game’s biggest names and tournaments were absent, and fans’ attention turned to arenas, stadiums, and ballparks. The golf industry has seen the error of its ways, and, now given the chances, Philly fans are representing again — especially when they get a chance to see how the other half lives.
Throngs flooded Merion when Justin Rose beat Phil Mickelson at the waterlogged 2013 U.S. Open, and they will surely return for the U.S. Opens scheduled to be played here in 2030 and 2040.
Pine Valley in New Jersey is often ranked No. 1 in the world but you’ve got a better chance to of seeing the Shroud of Turin than of walking Pine Valley’s fairways. Merion, meanwhile, consistently ranks among the world’s top-20 courses, and Philadelphians take advantage of rare opportunities to visit.
» READ MORE: Golf fans admire the Merion Golf Club at the U.S. Amateur: ‘It’s a beautiful place, with such deep history’
It’s not just Merion.
Legions came to see Keegan Bradley win the sodden 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink Golf Club (Ross), and they returned to the ‘Mink in May to watch Aaron Rai win the 2026 PGA Championship. Huge crowds toured Philadelphia Cricket Club (Tillinghast) last year at the Truist Championship, where Sepp Straka won.
Rosey and Phil and Captain Keegan aren’t at Merion this weekend, but the next Rosey or Phil or Keegan just might be.
For most golf fans, when they hear “Merion” and “Aronimink” and “Cricket,” they equate these sites with places like the Taj Mahal, only far less accessible … unless there’s a tournament. It takes $70,000, some serious connections, and proper breeding (shirt tucked in, hat faced forward, and no loud swearing) to access membership at Merion. However, for less than 40 bucks and a SEPTA pass for the Paoli/Thorndale train, they can get off at the Haverford station and crash this billionaire’s haven for a day.
Since play began Monday with 312 qualifiers, thousands have done just that. As play continued with quarterfinals on Friday, hundreds of those thousands had found a local Cinderella to support. Briefly.
» READ MORE: Brothers in Christ, brothers in golf: Pa. stars from Liberty U. shine at U.S. Amateur
Michael Lugiano, a native of Jackson Township, Pa., 30 miles southwest of Scranton, is the ranked 355th among the world’s amateurs, but for four days he played the best golf of his life. He finished 19th in stroke play to earn one of the 64 match-play spots, then won his first three matches.
Day Five was different, through no fault of Lugiano’s. His opponent, Logan Reilly, shot 6-under in the first 14 holes to advance, 6&4 (ahead by six holes with four to play). Lugiano didn’t play badly. Reilly was just too good. How good? Lugiano was 1-under after the first nine holes but two-down in the match.
He just finished his sophomore year in college. In the past few months Reilly sank the putt that won his Auburn Tigers the NCAA title; he qualified for and played in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills; and he finished top-5 in his last two tournaments.
Those Philly fans appreciated Reilly, but they loved Lugiano. He’s a rising junior at Liberty University, the first from his school to ever qualify for the NCAA Tournament, and he played in last year’s U.S. Am, but he still couldn’t believe all the love.
“I found out I have a lot more supporters than I realized,” Lugiano said. “There were hundreds of people that came here, just for me.”
Said Bobby, his older brother and, this week, his caddie:
“It was massive.”
Of course it was.
It was Philly.
