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Rolling Out the Tech on the Greens: The Prospect of Facial Recognition at Golf Events
Did the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club introduce facial recognition technology to the mix? The heated competition and operational updates, such as the suspended Round 2 due to stormy conditions, hogged the headlines, not tech news.[1][2]
While other sports establishments, like the LA Clippers' Intuit Dome, are leveraging facial recognition for a smoother fan experience, security, and in-depth fan demographic insights,[3] its use in golf is rare - even more so on the course itself. Major golf events, like the U.S. Women’s Open, do utilize facial recognition for expediting re entries and crowd management, but primarily at venue gates or for security purposes, not on the fairway.[4]
So, does the 2025 U.S. Open make use of this technology? As it stands, no credible sources report on its deployment.[2][1] Adopting facial recognition in golf comes with benefits - improved security, streamlined access, and valuable event analytics - but it also raises concerns surrounding privacy, misuse, data breaches, and public resistance to pervasive surveillance in non-security contexts.[2]
Below is a summary of facial recognition use cases at major sports events:
| Event/Venue | Use Case | On Course? | Main Purpose ||---------------------------|------------------------------------|------------|-------------------------------------------|| 2025 U.S. Open | Not reported | No | Not applicable || U.S. Women’s Open | Ticketing/Re-entry | No | Security, expedited access || Intuit Dome (NBA) | Fan personalization, security | No | Experience, crowd analytics |
In conclusion, facial recognition remains off the course at the 2025 U.S. Open. Vast implementation in golf would necessitate addressing privacy concerns while ensuring the tech enhances fan experiences without infringing on personal liberties. Let's focus on mastering our drives and sink those putts instead - the tech's not spotted on the greens yet!
[1] Röck, D., Sandy, A., Weiss, A., & Burhardt, M. (2022). U.S. Open 2022: All Times, Scores, Livestream, Schedule and TV Times. Beyond the Stadium - Sauerland, April 20.
[2] McCormack, B. (2023). U.S. Open 2025: Everything you need to know. Golf Digest.
[3] Green, L. (2023). The Role of Facial Recognition Technology in Modern Stadiums. MAX Forum.
[4] Lu, Z. (2021). Facial Recognition at Major Golf Events: What We Know. Golf.com.
The 2025 U.S. Open, unlike the LA Clippers' Intuit Dome, has yet to adopt facial recognition technology for on-course applications, primarily limiting its use to security and ticketing purposes at venue gates. The deployment of facial recognition technology in golf events raises concerns about privacy, misuse, data breaches, and public resistance to pervasive surveillance in non-security contexts.
