Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Tiger Woods hits from the third fairway with the storied Church Pews bunker behind him yesterday in the final round of the U.S. Open. Attendance for three practice rounds and four tournament rounds at Oakmont Country Club broke the attendance record set at Winged Foot in New York last year. Click photo for larger image. Multimedia: From the crowds to the course, the 107th U.S. Open at Oakmont was a rousing success: USGA spokesman Marty Parlses: "Reflects well on Western Pa." Tiger Woods: Fans were "awesome" Jim Furyk: Heard "lots of Pittsburgh chants" Click to view video report Angel Cabrera celebrates his U.S. Open championship victory at the Oakmont Country Club. Plus: Bubba Watson survives a triple bogey Volunteers keep leaderboard tradition alive

Things went so well from the perspective of tournament officials that the return of the U.S. Open to Oakmont for a ninth time is as certain as a tap-in putt.

"We'll certainly be back here for an Open," said Jim Hyler, chairman of the USGA's championship committee. "We're thrilled with the week. The golf course was right where we wanted it. It's a very stern test, which is what we like. And outside the ropes, everything worked well, including the traffic flow."

The USGA, the nonprofit organization that stages this national championship, must go through all the procedures before making an official decision. But Oakmont members are eager to have the tournament return as soon as possible.

"I thought we'd have operational hiccups every day. But on a scale of one to 10, it's been 11 to 15. It's been too good to be true. Everybody is tickled to death," said Mickey Pohl, an Oakmont member who was general chairman for the tournament. "There is big competition among clubs and cities to get this event. But if it's not back in 2015 or 2016, I'll be really disappointed."

What brought out the sterling silver smiles?

Attendance for three practice rounds and four tournament rounds was 258,907, more than the record 225,000 set at Winged Foot in New York last year. On Saturday, which had the largest turnout for the week, 46,521 spectators were on the course -- the most traffic on a single day on the course.

Merchandise sales were also unavailable, but the cash registers in a merchandise pavilion that had more square footage than a football field also surpassed the totals at Winged Foot. Souvenir white flags were sold out on Wednesday, the day before competition began. Red flags were off the shelves on Thursday.

Satellite parking lots and shuttle buses that used a special exit off the Pennsylvania Turnpike cut down congestion around the golf course, with the shuttle time clocked at 13 to 15 minutes in most cases. And guided by real-time reports, officials could direct spectators from the lot in Pittsburgh Mills to Hartwood Acres by changing computerized flashboards on the turnpike.

Tiger Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, was in the final pairing, ensuring the best ratings conditions possible for NBC even though he finished tied for second. Oakmont, rated the toughest and best golf course in the world by NBC's Johnny Miller, performed as advertised. The winning score of Argentina's Angel Cabrera was five over par, which is like saying the course won by five strokes. Cabrera, the first Argentinian and the 12th from outside the United States to win the U.S. Open, pocketed $1.26 million of the total purse of $7 million. He planned to sleep with the sterling silver trophy.

"The golf course was like a flower that blossomed at just the right time," Mr. Pohl said. "There should be no more than 10 years between Opens for a course of this quality."

No event of this magnitude comes without stress or inconvenience for some, however. Many businesses in Oakmont failed to enjoy a windfall because Open traffic was routed around the business district. Many commuters who use the Hulton Bridge to get to and from work inconvenienced themselves by finding alternative routes. And some local residents opted to take their vacations to avoid Open week.

But tournament officials balanced those concerns against the money spent on hotel rooms, rental cars, meals and the like -- an estimated economic impact of $60 million or more for the region.

"Anyone who thinks this is bad for the local economy isn't looking at the big picture," Mr. Pohl said.

The USGA likes to move the Open around to various parts of the country. Next year's event will be played at the municipal course at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Last week, it announced the 2014 Open will go back to Pinehurst, N.C.

Its criteria include enough land for operations, enough space for grandstands and merchandise tents, availability of hotels and airports, and the cooperation of local governments and the business community. (The coordination provided by Allegheny County, Oakmont and Plum boroughs, state police and the turnpike commission, among others, was vital in having the Open at Oakmont for the eighth time.)

But the top consideration is the quality and design of the golf course. Oakmont has its critics -- Phil Mickelson said the setup was "dangerous" when he missed the cut -- but when the USGA aims to identify its national champion, it wants the title earned on the toughest of courses.

In that regard, Oakmont played like Ogremont. During the tournament, not one of the 18 holes played at par. The average score over four rounds was 75.7, nearly six shots higher than the posted par of 70.

"We are absolutely delighted," said Marty Parkes, senior director of communications for the USGA. "The golf course played exactly as we had hoped. It was very tough but very fair."

When asked this week if there were any fun holes here, Tiger Woods deadpanned, "The 19th is great."

But he also paid tribute to the galleries, saying: "It couldn't have been a better or more professional atmosphere to play in."

Jim Furyk, who tied for second, respectfully said, "It's just a mean golf course."

Bubba Watson was among the many contestants who said it was the toughest course he ever played. "Just walking through the parking lot is hard enough," he said.

Such talk echoes as compliments at Oakmont, where 90 percent of the members favor keeping the course so tough that it can continue to stage major championships.

In the run-up to the Open, club president Bill Griffin said with a wicked grin that Oakmont is the kind of place that punishes its members and destroys its guests.

"I think we've had an element of destruction," he said yesterday. "I think the golf course has met the challenge. We like it to play tough and challenging. We like to see the best players in the world humbled by our golf course. It's always been extremely difficult. We're trying to preserve the traditions of the past. It's part of the culture of this club that the course is home to USGA championship events. And it's been great for Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania as another way to showcase our community."

In 2010, the USGA's Women's Open will be settled at Oakmont. And there have been ongoing talks between club officials and the USGA about bringing back the men's Open. While there is no commitment to a date, the welcome mat is out, and indications are nothing but positive.

"They've given us every signal that they want to return," Mr. Pohl said. "The USGA people are my friends, and I have told them individually we want them back. We'd have it every other year if they wanted. We'll tell them when we're tired of having it. I even said that if something happens, we'll leave the grandstands up and they can come back next year."