The U.S. Amateur always reminds fans why they love golf — pressure, unpredictability, and pure head-to-head drama. Match play makes every hole a fight, every shot a turning point. As the 2025 Championship nears its climax at the Olympic Club, it’s the format itself that’s stealing the spotlight.

This year’s U.S. Amateur in San Francisco has had it all. After two days of stroke play narrowed the field to 64, the event shifted to head-to-head match play — four days of knockout battles leading to a 36-hole championship showdown on the final day. This year, Niall Shiels Donegan and Mason Howell, who won against John Daly II, are among the four advancing into the semi-finals, which will take place on Saturday.

The talk isn’t only about who wins but how fun it’s been to watch. In match play, golfers go head-to-head instead of just chasing the leaderboard. It’s bold, risky, and every mistake counts right away with no chance to fix it the next day.

The fact that every hole is essentially its own match means momentum can shift dramatically, keeping both players and fans on edge. A single brilliant shot can swing the tide, while one costly mistake can instantly turn the tide against a competitor. This head-to-head pressure creates moments of intense drama rarely seen in traditional stroke play events, which is why many fans argue that match play is where golfers bring out their best. It is why fans eagerly wait for the biennial Ryder Cup, as it keeps them on the edge of their seats, and is a change from the otherwise predictable stroke play events.

But unfortunately, the absence of a match play event in the regular season on the PGA Tour, after the cancellation of the Dell Technologies Match Play in 2023, has become a growing frustration for the game’s most passionate followers. And with the nail-biting week at the Olympic Club, the frustration is now boiling over.

Fans demand changes after watching the U.S. Amateur 2025

One fan summed up the frustration bluntly —“What a catastrophe that Match Play doesn’t have a place in Men’s professional golf.” Another added, “This tournament always delivers. Complete travesty that no match play in professional golf.” These comments, while highlighting the exciting week at the U.S. Amateur Championship 2025, also hinted that the lack of such a format on the PGA Tour is a glaring hole in its calendar. It’s not just disappointment, but there’s also a hunger for change. The growing sentiment continued with another fan praising the current U.S. Amateur and criticizing professional golf’s current structure. “Match Play is so fun to watch. This @USGA stream right now is all nail biters. Golf tournaments are great. But what if, instead of a direct compete league (LIV), they created a Match Play League!” the fan suggested.

Most of the comments hinted at the PGA Tour for making the change since its removal of the WGC-Dell Match Play in 2023. One fan took the discontinuation almost as a personal loss and expressed, “So looked forward to Dell Match Play—always my favorite besides majors—really sucked when they cancelled.” Another plea tagged both the USGA and PGA Tour directly — “@USGA@PGATOUR.We need more match play tournament golf. #usam.” With these comments, it’s evident that not only has the week in San Francisco been exciting for fans, but it has also expressed the growing frustration among fans. And we know that it’s often during the Ryder Cup or the Solheim Cup that we witness the most memorable moments because of the head-to-head battles. As the U.S. Amateur nears a thrilling showdown, fans are now left wondering — ‘Why don’t we see more of this?’