Well, that didn't take long. Only days after going on sale, every single championship-round ticket for the 2013 US Open at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania is gone.
Still want to go? Fear not, you do have options. Aside from the usual "secondary" market, you can also buy tickets for the Monday-Wednesday practice rounds. You can also pony up some big bucks for the premium "Trophy Club" and "1895 Club" tickets. Both offer access to food, drink and (most notably) air conditioning in tents located near the 18th hole. Prices range from $50 for single-day practice-round tickets to $385 for Sunday 1895 Club ducats. (You can also get in free if you happen to be a kid or active-duty military, which is nice.)
For 2013, the USGA only offered 25,000 spectator tickets per day, down 8,000 from this year's total at The Olympic Club. 2012's attendance topped an astounding 230,000, the 26th straight sellout.
It's not hard to see why. With all due respect to The Players Championship, the Tour Championship and the US PGA Championship, the US Open runs neck-and-neck with the Masters as the greatest attraction in golf. And since you can't get to Augusta if you don't already know somebody who knows somebody, the US Open remains your best bet for marquee golf.
The 113th U.S. Open will take place June 13-16, 2013, the fifth time it's been played at Merion. The most recent visit there came in 1981, when David Graham took home the big prize.
Jay Busbee, Yahoo! Sports