The reason Jeff Hartman drove from Reamstown, Pa., to watch the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship was pretty simple.
“Because it’s Merion,” he said.
Spectators from all over the country and of different ages lined the fairways and followed the action on Thursday at Merion Golf Club during the Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches.
The United States Golf Association expects 20,000 attendees will come to Merion throughout the week. For many fans, the main draw is to walk the iconic course and experience a championship tournament with no ropes.
Unlike professional tournaments, the U.S. Amateur gives spectators a rare opportunity to be close to the players. Fans are encouraged to walk the fairways alongside the competitors, which creates a more intimate experience for them. That was part of the main attraction for Hartman.
“You can get closer to the players, and it’s kind of neat walking along the fairways behind them,” he said.
Hartman, an avid fan of the sport, attended the 1981 U.S. Open, as well as the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion when Justin Rose won his first major championship. He also made the trip for the 2022 Curtis Cup, also held at Merion.
“It’s a beautiful place, with such deep history,” he said. “It’s almost peaceful.”
Spectators posed for photos on the 18th fairway where the plaque of Ben Hogan’s famous 1-iron shot lies, and they even had a chance to speak with Charles Barkley, who was watching the action on the 13th green.
Lugianocontinues surprise run
The Round of 32 and Round of 16 were decided on Thursday.
In the morning matches, Jackson Township, Pa., native Michael Lugiano won 1-up against Nevill Ruiter.
A back-and-forth afternoon match in the Round of 16 had Lugiano heading into the 17th hole tied with rising BYU freshman Drake Harvey.
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Lugiano parred the 186-yard par-3 on 17, while Harvey bogeyed. Lugiano secured the 1-up win on 18 to advance to the quarterfinals on Friday at 2 p.m. against Logan Reilly.
“If you’d asked me two weeks ago where I was going to be, I was thinking about withdrawing from this event,” Lugiano said. “That’s how bad of golf I was playing. After the Western, I was sick of playing bad, and I got to work, found a feel, and really worked hard on it for that week coming into this event, [and] decided to eventually play because I got confident with my game again. I can’t believe I’ve made it this far from my perspective two weeks ago.”
Liberty teammates, including medalist Joshua Ryan, who Lugiano is staying with this week, followed his match and greeted him with high-fives and hugs after the win.
“Having all the people out here, it’s great,” Lugiano said. “It’s not nerve-wracking at all. It’s just really nice to have the support.”
Reilly, a rising sophomore at Auburn who was a member of the 2026 NCAA Division I National Championship team, won his Round of 16 match on the 20th hole against Ryder Cowan, a rising senior at Oklahoma University. Cowan shared low amateur honors at the U.S. Open in June with Miles Russell.
The crowds at Merion fueled Reilly to finish strong down the stretch.
“I think it’s so cool to have all those people out there,” Reilly said. “It’s kind of what I grew up dreaming about is playing with big crowds. I love everyone getting loud and kind of rowdy out there. The more people out there and the more cameras, it means something is going well.”
Carter Loflin advanced to the quarterfinals after winning his match on the 19th hole with local caddie Jack Hopkins, who has worked at Merion for 35 years, on the bag. Loflin was 2-up heading into the 17th hole, but William Jennings parred on 17 and 18 to tie the match and take it to extra holes. Loflin birdied the 19th hole to take the win.
“Thirty-six holes on this golf course is just so draining,” he said. “It’s not like a normal test just because there’s so much you have to think about. Eighteen holes is a lot out here. Thirty-six is a different beast, and I kind of experienced that today.”