Opinion & Analysis
Ryder Cup hecklers raise more questions than answers
How should we feel about a fan telling Rory McIlroy to “suck a ****?” Underlying all the soundbites and more nuanced discussions of U.S. fans’ conduct at Hazeltine this week are questions like these: What do we expect from fans at a Ryder Cup? How should they act toward the foreign opponents? Should Ryder Cup fans adhere to a different standard than fans at other sporting events?
And heading off any “cultural disintegration” arguments: No European team member went as far as Sam Torrance did in 1999, when he called U.S. fan behavior at Brookline “disgusting.” And no fan went as far as spitting on the captain’s wife at Hazeltine this year, which reportedly also happened at Brookline.
So, abandoning the “American culture has gone to hell and this is what you get” argument, let’s dig into what happened at Hazeltine. The easiest way to do this would seem to be looking at the situations of Danny Willett and Rory McIlroy separately, and then looking at fan behavior more generally (cheering for bad shots from the Europeans, etc).
First, the unfortunate Mr. Willett. The Masters champ’s brother, P.J., wrote a (satirical?) column for the National Club Golfer ahead of the Ryder Cup in which he made a number of less-than-flattering characterizations of American golf fans. For example: “pudgy, basement-dwelling, irritants, stuffed on cookie dough and pissy beer, pausing between mouthfuls of hot dog so they can scream ‘Baba booey’ until their jelly faces turn red.”
Yahoo’s Ryan Ballengee (perhaps mistaking the chicken for the egg) stated firmly “Danny Willett’s brother was right…fans chugging Bud Lights and Silver Bullets shouted “Baba booey” on most every hole Willett played. Multiple times in some cases. The courage juice certainly helped some spectators come up with other gems like, “Where’s your brother, Danny Boy?” and “Hot dogs!” and “Your brother could’ve hit that shot!”
It’s difficult to imagine a situation in which Danny Willett wasn’t going to hear it from the fans, as he was (unfortunately for him) the only Willett teeing it up at Hazeltine. He was rattled, and didn’t earn a point in three matches.
Should Danny have been the whipping boy for P.J.’s sentiments? From a fairness standpoint: No. From standpoint of “Would he get far worse in any other sport?” Assuredly yes. The question then revolves around whether we ought to give Ryder Cup fans a wider berth than we (and security) would at a PGA Tour event.
Rory McIlroy, as the top dog for team Europe, caught plenty of flack early, which only intensified as he…well, intensified. And his “You’re welcome for the show” bow Friday afternoon firmly sentenced him to another two days of heckling.
The worst of it for McIlroy (as far as we know) came when a spectator yelled, “Suck a ****, Rory!” with the Ulsterman only a few feet away as he walked between holes. For his part, Rory reportedly said, “If you want to back that up, I’m right here,” before having the heckler thrown out.
There’s no doubt McIlroy went to another level of intensity in the face of the jeering (going 3-2-0), and he said as much after his matches Saturday: “(The heckling) fueled me a lot…the more they shouted, the better we (he and Pieters) played.”
ESPN’s Bob Harig, writing about the venom directed at the former world No. 1 said:
“There’s nothing wrong with such partisan cheering at the Ryder Cup. But why such venom has been directed at McIlroy is beyond puzzling. This is one of the more popular, gracious players when he competes in PGA Tour events. He just won the Tour Championship on Sunday — and the FedEx Cup’s $10-million bonus — and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone at the tournament who didn’t cheer that victory.”
This may not be as true as Harig thinks, but the fact remains: McIlroy is not an unpopular player in America. He was, however, the best golfer on the European squad. And he did make a few flippant remarks about the U.S. team and the Ryder Cup task force ahead of the competition. So harassment was deemed a priority by some, and that contagion only spread.
The McIlroy situation is a little tougher to judge than Willett’s. In other sports similar occurrences are frequent, albeit most often not at such close range. And again, like the Willett situation, there’s no doubt such conduct wouldn’t fly at any Tour stop. Thus, the question is, again, “Do we give fans a wider berth than we (and security) would at a PGA Tour event?”
Moving from fan interaction with specific players to the atmosphere in general: Talking about the Hazeltine faithful, Sergio Garcia sounded off:
“They have been quite poor. I’m not going to lie. Obviously it’s unfortunate, because I think that 85 percent of the people are great and I love playing in America. My girlfriend is American. But that 15 percent that is really bad, it makes them look bad.”
That didn’t jive with European Ryder Cup captain, Darren Clarke’s estimate. “I think you have 99.99 percent of the crowd out there that are wonderfully respectful. They are patriotic, yes, but they are wonderfully respectful,” Clarke said.
“You’re always going to have one or two idiots that say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and, unfortunately, that’s happened,” Clarke said. “But overall, the fans have been absolutely superb to us. And it’s unfortunate, you’re just going to run into people like that now and again that say the wrong thing at the wrong time and the wrong place.”
So there you have it. In general, somewhere between 85 and 99.99 percent of fans conducted themselves appropriately.
Do we respond differently to the Hazeltine hecklers if they numbered 15 percent or a fraction of a percent? Probably. If Garcia’s estimate is anywhere near correct, you might see the next Ryder Cup sponsored by the Temperance Union, rather than Michelob Ultra.
For what it’s worth Golf Digest’s John Huggan thinks he has the solution to Ryder Cup heckling:
“On those occasions when a player is disturbed by heckling while standing over a ball ready to putt. When and if that happens, the putt should immediately be conceded by the opponent. Knowing that any attempt to distract will be counter-productive is perhaps the only way to counteract this cancer that pervades the Ryder Cup.”
Not a slippery slope there at all, John! But really, there are more questions than answers with this one. On the one hand, there are vested interests in the Ryder Cup being as rude and raucous as possible, and few would argue that they didn’t enjoy seeing Rory McIlroy’s performance, which was directly related to the heckling. On the other, putting aside golf’s traditions and the “spirit of the game,” golf is a game played in relative silence where fans are incredibly close to the players, so holding fans to same standards as, say, attendees at an NFL game, doesn’t make sense.
Somewhere between these two poles a solution lies. Maybe a Heckling Task Force is in order?
Related: See what WRX Members are saying about the hecklers in our Tour Talk forum.
As the editor-in-chief of this website and an observer of the GolfWRX forums and other online golf equipment discourse for over a decade, I’m pretty well attuned to the grunts and grumbles of a significant portion of the golf equipment purchasing spectrum. And before you accuse me of lording above all in some digital ivory tower, I’d like to offer that I worked at golf courses (public and private) for years prior to picking up my pen, so I’m well-versed in the non-degenerate golf equipment consumers out there. I touched (green)grass (retail)!
Complaints about the ills of and related to the OEMs usually follow some version of: Product cycles are too short for real innovation, tour equipment isn’t the same as retail (which is largely not true, by the way), too much is invested in marketing and not enough in R&D, top staffer X hasn’t even put the new driver in play, so it’s obviously not superior to the previous generation, prices are too high, and on and on.
Without digging into the merits of any of these claims, which I believe are mostly red herrings, I’d like to bring into view of our rangefinder what I believe to be the two primary difficulties golf equipment companies face.
One: As Terry Koehler, back when he was the CEO of Ben Hogan, told me at the time of the Ft Worth irons launch, if you can’t regularly hit the golf ball in a coin-sized area in the middle of the face, there’s not a ton that iron technology can do for you. Now, this is less true now with respect to irons than when he said it, and is less and less true by degrees as the clubs get larger (utilities, fairways, hybrids, drivers), but there remains a great deal of golf equipment truth in that statement. Think about it — which is to say, in TL;DR fashion, get lessons from a qualified instructor who will teach you about the fundamentals of repeatable impact and how the golf swing works, not just offer band-aid fixes. If you can’t repeatably deliver the golf club to the golf ball in something resembling the manner it was designed for, how can you expect to be getting the most out of the club — put another way, the maximum value from your investment?
Similarly, game improvement equipment can only improve your game if you game it. In other words, get fit for the clubs you ought to be playing rather than filling the bag with the ones you wish you could hit or used to be able to hit. Of course, don’t do this if you don’t care about performance and just want to hit a forged blade while playing off an 18 handicap. That’s absolutely fine. There were plenty of members in clubs back in the day playing Hogan Apex or Mizuno MP-32 irons who had no business doing so from a ballstriking standpoint, but they enjoyed their look, feel, and complementary qualities to their Gatsby hats and cashmere sweaters. Do what brings you a measure of joy in this maddening game.
Now, the second issue. This is not a plea for non-conforming equipment; rather, it is a statement of fact. USGA/R&A limits on every facet of golf equipment are detrimental to golf equipment manufacturers. Sure, you know this, but do you think about it as it applies to almost every element of equipment? A 500cc driver would be inherently more forgiving than a 460cc, as one with a COR measurement in excess of 0.83. 50-inch shafts. Box grooves. And on and on.
Would fewer regulations be objectively bad for the game? Would this erode its soul? Fortunately, that’s beside the point of this exercise, which is merely to point out the facts. The fact, in this case, is that equipment restrictions and regulations are the slaughterbench of an abundance of innovation in the golf equipment space. Is this for the best? Well, now I’ve asked the question twice and might as well give a partial response, I guess my answer to that would be, “It depends on what type of golf you’re playing and who you’re playing it with.”
For my part, I don’t mind embarrassing myself with vintage blades and persimmons chasing after the quasi-spiritual elevation of a well-struck shot, but that’s just me. Plenty of folks don’t give a damn if their grooves are conforming. Plenty of folks think the folks in Liberty Corner ought to add a prison to the museum for such offences. And those are just a few of the considerations for the amateur game — which doesn’t get inside the gallery ropes of the pro game…
Different strokes in the game of golf, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I believe equipment company engineers are genuinely trying to build better equipment year over year. The marketing departments are trying to find ways to make this equipment appeal to the broadest segment of the golf market possible. All of this against (1) the backdrop of — at least for now — firm product cycles. And golfers who, with their ~15 average handicap (men), for the most part, are not striping the golf ball like Tiger in his prime and seem to have less and less time year over year to practice and improve. (2) Regulations that massively restrict what they’re able to do…
That’s the landscape as I see it and the real headwinds for golf equipment companies. No doubt, there’s more I haven’t considered, but I think the previous is a better — and better faith — point of departure when formulating any serious commentary on the golf equipment world than some of the more cynical and conspiratorial takes I hear.
Agree? Disagree? Think I’m worthy of an Adam Hadwin-esque security guard tackle? Let me know in the comments.
@golfoncbs The infamous Adam Hadwin tackle ? #golf #fyp #canada #pgatour #adamhadwin ? Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz – MaSssuguMusic
Episode #16 brings us Cliff McKinney. Cliff is the founder of Old Charlie Golf Club, a new club, and concept, to be built in the Florida panhandle. The model is quite interesting and aims to make great, private golf more affordable. We hope you enjoy the show!
Last week, I came across a reel from BBC Sport on Instagram featuring Scottie Scheffler speaking to the media ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush. In it, he shared that he often wonders what the point is of wanting to win tournaments so badly — especially when he knows, deep down, that it doesn’t lead to a truly fulfilling life.
View this post on Instagram
“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about it because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said. “To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”
Ironically — or perhaps perfectly — he went on to win the claret jug.
That question — what’s the point of winning? — cuts straight to the heart of the human journey.
As someone who’s spent over two decades in the trenches of professional golf, and in deep study of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the game, I see Scottie’s inner conflict as a sign of soul evolution in motion.
I came to golf late. I wasn’t a junior standout or college All-American. At 27, I left a steady corporate job to see if I could be on the PGA Tour starting as a 14-handicap, average-length hitter. Over the years, my journey has been defined less by trophies and more by the relentless effort to navigate the deeply inequitable and gated system of professional golf — an effort that ultimately turned inward and helped me evolve as both a golfer and a person.
One perspective that helped me make sense of this inner dissonance around competition and our culture’s tendency to overvalue winning is the idea of soul evolution.
The University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies has done extensive research on reincarnation, and Netflix’s Surviving Death (Episode 6) explores the topic, too. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, the idea that we’re on a long arc of growth — from beginner to sage elder — offers a profound perspective.
If you accept the premise literally, then terms like “young soul” and “old soul” start to hold meaning. However, even if we set the word “soul” aside, it’s easy to see that different levels of life experience produce different worldviews.
Newer souls — or people in earlier stages of their development — may be curious and kind but still lack discernment or depth. There is a naivety, and they don’t yet question as deeply, tending to see things in black and white, partly because certainty feels safer than confronting the unknown.
As we gain more experience, we begin to experiment. We test limits. We chase extreme external goals — sometimes at the expense of health, relationships, or inner peace — still operating from hunger, ambition, and the fragility of the ego.
It’s a necessary stage, but often a turbulent and unfulfilling one.
David Duval fell off the map after reaching World No. 1. Bubba Watson had his own “Is this it?” moment with his caddie, Ted Scott, after winning the Masters.
In Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, reflecting on his 2011 Super Bowl win, Rodgers said:
“Now I’ve accomplished the only thing that I really, really wanted to do in my life. Now what? I was like, ‘Did I aim at the wrong thing? Did I spend too much time thinking about stuff that ultimately doesn’t give you true happiness?’”
Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Eventually, though, something shifts.
We begin to see in shades of gray. Winning, dominating, accumulating—these pursuits lose their shine. The rewards feel more fleeting. Living in a constant state of fight-or-flight makes us feel alive, yes, but not happy and joyful.
Compassion begins to replace ambition. Love, presence, and gratitude become more fulfilling than status, profits, or trophies. We crave balance over burnout. Collaboration over competition. Meaning over metrics.
Interestingly, if we zoom out, we can apply this same model to nations and cultures. Countries, like people, have a collective “soul stage” made up of the individuals within them.
Take the United States, for example. I’d place it as a mid-level soul: highly competitive and deeply driven, but still learning emotional maturity. Still uncomfortable with nuance. Still believing that more is always better. Despite its global wins, the U.S. currently ranks just 23rd in happiness (as of 2025). You might liken it to a gifted teenager—bold, eager, and ambitious, but angsty and still figuring out how to live well and in balance. As much as a parent wants to protect their child, sometimes the child has to make their own mistakes to truly grow.
So when Scottie Scheffler wonders what the point of winning is, I don’t see someone losing strength.
I see someone evolving.
He’s beginning to look beyond the leaderboard. Beyond metrics of success that carry a lower vibration. And yet, in a poetic twist, Scheffler did go on to win The Open. But that only reinforces the point: even at the pinnacle, the question remains. And if more of us in the golf and sports world — and in U.S. culture at large — started asking similar questions, we might discover that the more meaningful trophy isn’t about accumulating or beating others at all costs.
It’s about awakening and evolving to something more than winning could ever promise.
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stephenf
Oct 14, 2016 at 11:39 am
“Should Ryder Cup fans adhere to a different standard than fans at other sporting events?”
Yes. Always.
The pro game is swirling down the toilet of other pro sports. It’s just behind the curve a little, but it’s well on the way. A lot of this is the PGA Tour’s insatiable search for ever more money and ever-wider markets. When the game has to make no demands of anybody’s behavior or speech, when it has to be everything to everybody, it becomes nothing. Nothing more than just another pro sport, complete with sex scandals, tabloidism, ex-criminals and drug addicts, you name it.
If what matters about the game is going to survive, it’s going to be at the amateur level, with parents taking their kids out and teaching them what matters in the game. The pro game is becoming more and more just a shadow of what the game used to be and what it meant. Nobody should see it as a flagship, because it isn’t.
Don’t like taking your kid to a baseball game because (aside from being prohibitively expensive, especially for a guy who grew up going to Dodger Stadium when it wasn’t) you’re not crazy about drunk idiots yelling obscenities over the top of your kid’s head? Better not take them to the Ryder Cup either, since you’ll get “Suck a —-” from alleged “golf fans.”
And why exactly do we have to keep “putting aside” elements like cultural decline, golf’s traditions, and the spirit of the game? A little too antiquated for us now, so we have to be vaguely apologetic and avoidant? These things matter. Golf used to be a civilizing influence, when taught and played the right way. It still can be, but it’s rarer and rarer that it is. It’s being subsumed by a culture of selfishness, coarseness, and vulgarity. Anybody who doesn’t see this as tragic and regrettable doesn’t understand the game and what it’s supposed to be.
By the way, it’s “flak.” And “jibe,” not “jive.”
Dave r
Oct 8, 2016 at 7:32 pm
No class at all shown by some fans , have another drink ….not
Double Mocha Man
Oct 5, 2016 at 5:59 pm
… and you wonder why your comments get removed…
Harry Lines
Oct 5, 2016 at 5:53 pm
I think the point is that this kind of heckling and shouting “get in the hole” on the tee of a 600 yard par 5 doesn’t really happen on the European tour or at a European hosted Ryder Cup. It all seems a bit pointless when all the players are trying to do is put on a show for the fans and win a premier event in there sport.
Double Mocha Man
Oct 5, 2016 at 6:05 pm
If you yell “Get in the hole!” on a par 5 tee shot you’re either really, really drunk or you have never played golf other than a miniature golf course or you’ve hit a large bucket on the range using only your driver.
Christian
Oct 5, 2016 at 12:32 pm
To deny this, generally, is an American problem is weird. The number of rude and brash bozos are higher among US golf fans, and that of course is a reflection of american culture. Just accept it or if you see it as a problem, deal with it harshly at events. Producing long winded apologist pieces like this article is not the answer.
Craig
Oct 5, 2016 at 5:38 am
Maybe for something like the Ryder Cup, it should just be played without spectators present? They have done this before in European Soccer. Television is the bulk of the audience for a tourney which is watched around the world. When some idiot yelled out as Stenson started making his backstroke, I stopped watching, it all got too much and as an Australian without a vested interest, couldn’t be bothered with a contest biased towards one side.
Mark Donaghy
Oct 5, 2016 at 5:02 am
We like to think that poor crowd behaviour is a modern phenomenon but in 1855, when playing a match against Willie Park at Musselburgh Tom Morris left the course, with the referee, because the partisan crowd was kicking and standing on his golf ball. These were big money matches with lots of betting and drinking, crowds would number in their tens of thousands and be very hostile to visitors. People would be shouting out at the top of a player’s backswing. Spectators stood in the bunkers to get a better view. Looks like we have come full circle.
Ty
Oct 5, 2016 at 2:34 am
Isn’t this a ton of fun? The Hecklers are in force on these comments boards! Excellent! Lets keep it going for two more years!
Brent
Oct 5, 2016 at 12:43 am
Because you’re a di** head probably.
schadenfreude
Oct 4, 2016 at 1:32 pm
Golf is a gentleman’s game not a WWE event, Raiders game, or monster truck rally! I hope the Ryder Cup doesn’t take on the personality of that Waste Management Tourney in Arizona. As a matter of fact I hope it goes even more conservative and stops selling alcohol to decrease the excuses for idiot behavior. We got a whole bunch of “Kardashian” intelligence sports but lets keep the few we don’t have classy.
Brian
Oct 4, 2016 at 1:30 pm
The Euros flooding this board have no room to talk. Look at their behavior during soccer matches.
RedX
Oct 4, 2016 at 5:52 pm
Sad you feel that way Brian. I’m not European by the way but we’re talking about one of the showcase events on the golfing calendar – “golf” being the most important word in that sentence.
Com
Oct 5, 2016 at 2:32 am
Once again, Brian, an American, getting topics and subjects confused and mixed up and making them all the same. A typical American trait, that, not being able to compartmentalize.
Sven Olsen
Oct 6, 2016 at 6:22 am
I am not an European – I am Danish, and I think the discussion has come to a point, where common sense has left the building.
If you compare soccer to golf, you are far out. Golf is a gentlemen’s sport – soccer is definately not!
If people cannot behave, they have nothing to do at a golf game – cheering on your team is something we all do, but not to the extend, where the opposing players are intimidated and/or abused by a couple of braindeads – for that is the cold facts: Only a very tiny minority behave like idiots – the vast majority of the mainly American audience were good sportsmen – they cheered a good performance, and made some teasing comments – which is fine and proper – since this happened post-shot, so to speak.
And, a little foot note: Please do not call true Europeans for Euros – they abhor the modern version of Hitler’s Neuropa. Further to your comment: Don’t forget, the Scots, who are Europeans (to a certain degree) invented golf, so we, the Scandinavians and the Europeans have plenty of room – plenty!
Topic_Monitor
Oct 4, 2016 at 11:18 am
Please be respectful of others and stick to the subject matter. Thank You
Proud Yankee
Oct 4, 2016 at 9:22 am
Thanks WRX for letting someone post something so absolutely hateful like saying Americans are C**** you should be proud of yourself for taking my post off but leaving that
Zak Kozuchowski
Oct 4, 2016 at 9:41 am
We regret the comment you’re addressing making it through our spam filters. Our apologies. It has no place on our site, and never will.
Ian Muir
Oct 4, 2016 at 4:05 am
The whole world watches the Ryder Cup; it is broadcast worldwide and so the US looks bad in the eyes of the neutrals be it in the Far East, Australasia as well as in Europe and every other corner of the world. But you know what, all that the Hazeltine crowds have done is to further imbed the already held beliefs around the globe that the US are a nation of low-class, drunken and moronic fools. But I guess rather than tackle the issue (and it’s not the first time in RC history that the US crowds have acted in this way) the US will do what it always does – circle the wagons. I guess at least there was no-one firing guns when the putts were rolling in.
Chris
Oct 4, 2016 at 11:31 am
Broad generalizations to label a whole country? That seems about right. So Europe’s futbol fans must be a direct representation of their country , correct? …
Get over it , any normal tour event there is not an issue with hecklers and people over here like Rory and a lot of other foreigners. They even root for them. This is a TEAM EVENT that happens every two years of course we are going to root against the euros..
Ian Muir
Oct 4, 2016 at 2:24 am
It reflects where America is in the world; boorish and needy for attention whilst being lacking in class and intellect in equal measure. The behaviour (yes that is the correct spelling NOT behavior you mugs) seen at Hazeltine was televised around the world and America’s reputation sinks even lower; well done to the brainless, knuckle-dragging morons. Oh, and ban the sale of alcohol it is not the time nor the place for it.
Brian
Oct 4, 2016 at 1:26 pm
Kind of like the Euro soccer fans that hurl bananas and chant monkey noises at black soccer players? Those who live in glass houses…
Lucas
Oct 4, 2016 at 4:03 pm
This isn’t soccer…look at the Wimbledon? Thats not the Point. Stupid people dont have to ruin every sport.
stephenf
Oct 14, 2016 at 11:38 am
Kind of like, it doesn’t matter what other people do. It matters what _you_ do. That’s one of the things this game is supposed to teach people, if they learn it the right way.
Bert
Oct 5, 2016 at 9:01 pm
Sad prospective – very sad.
Brian
Oct 3, 2016 at 9:06 pm
Is that anything like Euro soccer fans throwing bananas and making monkey noises at black players?
Rock Flite
Oct 3, 2016 at 9:01 pm
Some behavior crossed the line. On the Saturday afternoon fourball, Westwood missed a 4/5 foot putt early on the back nine. He had another on the next hole, when someone yelled ‘miss it’ on his backswing- I have it on tape. Commentators acted like it didn’t happen. With that in the back of his mind and the crowd screaming for blood, Westwood proceeds to gag over the next two that were inside the leather. Can only hope the Euro crowd forgets this by ’18.
RedX
Oct 3, 2016 at 7:13 pm
For all those advocating a restriction on alcohol take a moment. The Euro’s at their press conference rejected any call for future alcohol bans. Yes there were a few too many incidents of poor behaviour but it was the overwhelming miniscule MINORITY of the crowd. An alcohol ban punishes many for the indiscretions of the so very few. Lets just hold the idiots accountable for their actions rather than putting a dampener on things for so many people who can have a few drinks and still act like responsible, respectful adults.
If those idiots have a problem at a Ryder Cup match because they’ve had a few beers they probably have problems elsewhere as well
john
Oct 7, 2016 at 12:56 am
This is how society makes laws… The minority ruin it for the rest (speed limits in cars for a prime example). If your minority can’t handle their liquor at a golf event, then alcohol needs to be banned.
Double Mocha Man
Oct 7, 2016 at 11:37 am
I’ve tried to explain just that to my son… how a few idiot people cause laws to be written… laws that end up impacting us all. I think we should be able to apply for an Adult Maturity and Wisdom card. Ownership of that card would allow you to skip over a lot of laws made specifically for the selfish idiots.
Markallister
Oct 3, 2016 at 5:40 pm
maybe the us players should eat more hot dogs and drink more beer so that people would actually like them.
Double Mocha Man
Oct 3, 2016 at 5:29 pm
Hey! Let Smizzle have his say!
Double Mocha Man
Oct 3, 2016 at 5:05 pm
We all have our problems (as do you and your username) but that was a little over the top.
Double Mocha Man
Oct 3, 2016 at 5:26 pm
I was referring to the Tickle Me guy. Smiz, all your usernames are okay with me.
Double Mocha Man
Oct 3, 2016 at 5:50 pm
Chuckle… chuckle… (don’t do anything to get yourself censored)
tickle me puswoo
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:59 pm
that’s
leo vincent
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:32 pm
The United States public in general has gotten more rude and dumber in general.All that needs to be said is the U S public may elect Donald Trump president you can’t get much dumber than that.
birdy
Oct 5, 2016 at 7:38 am
unless of course you elect a corrupt, dishonest, incompetent, unlikable, woman with a track record of fail.
Drimmen
Oct 3, 2016 at 3:19 pm
I was at Hazeltine on Friday and Sunday. Huge crowds, huge emotions. I followed Reed and Rory for several holes. Obviously I’m only one person, but I didn’t see any continual over-the-top rude behavior. A couple of times someone would shout something out and rest of the fans would quickly shut them down. I think Clarke’s .01% was probably correct. The PGA had plenty of messaging on the video screens about being respectful. I say a lot of media hype. Followed Phil and Sergio for much of Sunday. Great match. Sergio seemed thankful for the fan behavior and support.
The Ruder Cup
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:46 pm
It’s the RUDER Cup. To see who can be the rudest in the land.
Pathetic show of a competition or whatever belligerent-fest it is
Warwick
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:40 pm
My wife does not play or watch sport but she watched a few holes with me and exclaimed, “The Americans are very rude.”
We are neutrals from South Africa but the poor sportsmanship displayed by MOST of the American crowd tarnished Arnold Palmer’s memory. The cheer that went up when Rory hit into the water on the 16th was disgusting. An American friend could not stop apologizing.
I thought the golfers behaved pretty well but some, including Patrick and Rory went too far in their antics. Ricky and Phil were exceptionally well behaved.
The golf was riveting but the mindless” USA USA” chant was distracting. Minnesota is not on my bucket list.
Dave
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:11 pm
This must be your first Ryder Cup.
Whatsthecatch
Oct 4, 2016 at 1:56 am
Genocide?
Yes Apartheid was wrong but not genocide…whatever definition from any generally accepted source you want to use
Preventing a person sitting in a whites only restaurant is wrong but not genocide.
What about the Indians?Because it was way back, smaller sample pool does that now change the principle?
SNBD
Oct 4, 2016 at 2:11 am
This is an amazingly witty comment…directed at yet another non-american making “MOST” of us out to be the worst fans in all of sports. Sergio and Clarke didn’t even say “MOST” of the fans were out of line and they were at the event. As for the USA USA chants, you (Warwick) don’t see this type of enthusiasm for the international team in the President’s Cup because your beloved South Africans and the rest of the world get waxed every two years.
Brent
Oct 5, 2016 at 1:00 am
What has South Africa’s history got to do with the ryder cup?
cwp
Oct 14, 2016 at 7:19 am
Oh yeah? Care to tell me what happened to the Sioux tribe then? Only a part of the extermination of indians you have in your history so stop spouting your nonsense.
stephenf
Oct 14, 2016 at 11:39 am
Yeah. I’ll bet these people aren’t either.
Jay
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:28 pm
All the comments of the problem being a tiny minority, or the Euros are the same, or ‘it’s the players fault for stoking things up’. It’s all a smoke haze. Those things are the result, not the cause. The real cause of this, is an over abundance of cultural Nationalism spreading it’s way around the world like a cancer. The world appears to be well down the road to a more dangerous junction whereby Patriotism has already been mistaken for Nationalism and history has repeatedly shown that this slippery slope of Nationalism has ended very badly, yet we as humans have failed to learn any lessons from our past. That’s sad, and a great worry!
Double Mocha Man
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:43 pm
Here’s to being a Universalist. We all share this planet. What’s with those dotted white lines between countries anyway?! They’re just “political” boundaries. God didn’t put those there.
Double Mocha Man
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:21 pm
Smizie… go look up Donald Trump’s GHIN handicap index, watch a YouTube video of his swing and tell me he doesn’t cheat at golf. Your red state doesn’t trump my blue state. Mine has better golf courses. Un-i-verse… Un-i-verse… Un-i-verse…
Double Mocha Man
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:25 pm
Well, sorry, that was a bit of a non-sequitur. I enjoy Smizzle’s commentary, both good and stupid. Didn’t mean to bring in politics, but Smizzle was sounding alot like an old white man there.
stephenf
Oct 14, 2016 at 11:40 am
Hilarious. You really want to try to live without them?
It’s not the fact of the boundaries that causes incivility.
RedX
Oct 3, 2016 at 6:50 pm
Jingoism is the expression you’re searching for Jay. Not new unfortunately
Double Mocha Man
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:20 pm
1. I would have loved to see Rory punch that guy out.
2. You hand should be stamped every time you buy a beer. After 4 stamps you’re cut off.
3. If that guy had 4 stamps or less on his hand he wouldn’t have used that language against a good guy from Ireland.
Dave
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:10 pm
Rory had classless comments about the Americans before it started and Rory was egging it on during the competition. It’s the first time I have ever rooted against him. I now believe he is a spoiled little brat. Stenson on the other hand, due to his behavior and ability to tune out the crowd, is fast becoming my favorite Euro. I just wish he would smile more then once a week.
stephenf
Oct 14, 2016 at 11:41 am
If you think somebody else’s behavior or comments are the cause of yours, you are no golfer. Not really.
KJ
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:00 pm
I have to admit that hearing what was being said was embarrassing at times. I don’t care if it was a very small minority. Find the idiots and throw them out! I was also not thrilled with the overreaction by players on both sides after making good shots and holing putts. You would have never seen any of the greats react that way. I know its an emotional time and tournament, but have some respect for the game. An occasional fist pump or reaction is fine and expected……but not on every hole. McElroy and Reed played ridiculously good golf and both went over the line IMHO.
Keith B. Real
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:28 pm
I wish there was a like button. 🙂
Paul
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:35 pm
Its opinions like this why Golf is so hard to grow. This sport absolutley needs some emotion in it. How do you expect to draw in a younger crowd…which you have to do to energize this sport…if you become offended at the idea of someone displaying passion for draining a 20 foot putt in front of a few thousand. Relax a little bit broski..have a beer..and let the kids have some fun
Scooter McGavin
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:10 pm
Paul is right on the money. They went “over the line”? Are you kidding me? Why do you think most people find golf to be incredibly boring and question it even being athletic? Because of these attitudes that excitement, energy, and passion have to be suppressed in order to maintain “proper decorum for this noble game of old”. That’s why everyone thinks it’s a stuffy hobby for rich white people, when in fact it is quite fun and exciting. Anyone who plays knows how exciting the game can be, so why fight it? To add to it, the Ryder Cup actually adds a team and group pride element absent from other golf tournaments. That’s ONE of the reasons more people find sports like football, soccer, basketball, and baseball more exciting, is they have a team that they and a well-defined group of other people have a vested interest in, so they get more excited to watch them.
JG
Oct 3, 2016 at 8:48 pm
You’re absolutely right Paul. Why didn’t people go up in arms when Tiger would fist pump a putt after leading by 10 at Pebble? Because they loved the emotion.
Plus, competitive matchplay is a completely different game than your day in day out stroke play, the emotion is what gets under players skin. Which might I add is a benefit in the Ryder Cup.
KJ
Oct 4, 2016 at 8:12 am
Golf does not need guys running around, mouthing obscenities and all of the theatrics that were on display in some of the matches. Again, I said some emotion and gamesmanship is great. I enjoyed it to a point. But, they took it too far. If that’s what golf “needs”, then I want no part of playing around anyone that thinks that’s what the game is about. If you cant have fun being outside enjoying good weather, getting some exercise with your buddies, enjoying their company and competing then golf isn’t for you. And that’s ok as far as I’m concerned.
JThunder
Oct 4, 2016 at 10:47 pm
Wow, so many of you equate “emotion” with yelling obscenities and trash talking the opponent. That’s very telling. Those things are not one in the same, and not necessarily even related.
Jack
Oct 5, 2016 at 3:45 am
Agree, I think a proper celebration would have been a slight tip of the hat or even with a charming wink added in. Anything more would be a travesty.
MBU
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:04 pm
You’re bang on there. They should both have known better. There didn’t seem much mutual respect between them either. Dustin Johnson came off as a good guy, and Phil of course.
What Willet harped on about post Ryder Cup was awful. I hope he’s not picked again.
I thought that the USA team celebrated very respectfully after winning. I didn’t mind the US’ winning it, they had a very positive attitude, and deserved it.
Rwj
Oct 3, 2016 at 6:27 pm
#1
The problem is they are no longer sporting events for fans, they are social events for people needing to post selfies showing their acquaintances their life is great. True fans rarely go to sporting events anymore because they know the alcoholics are going to be loud and obtrusive to ruin a good day.
It’s a dog and pony show now on tour. The athlete can’t finish a putt and soak in his achievement of winning a tournament without his trophy wife needing to be on the green for tv coverage.
SNBD
Oct 4, 2016 at 2:24 am
KJ: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you’re not in your 20’s and probably not even in your 30’s….if you are, what is it with your pre-mature “get off my lawn” attitude? Golf is seriously struggling with the younger generation and there are a lot of factors, but the stuffy, respect the game attitude that your post so aptly displays is a huge one. MLB is in the same boat…so many unwritten rules in baseball, you can write a book about them. This is a serious prediction….golf will probably see a gain in popularity and have a “come back” when the baby boomer generation literally dies. Everything wasn’t better in the 50’s….simpler, yes, but not better.
Mr. Wedge
Oct 3, 2016 at 1:57 pm
Standing in a crowd behind the ropes gives a certain few people the false sense of anonymity. Sort of like the internet. General rule, if you wouldn’t say it directly face to face, don’t yell it through a crowd.
Scooter McGavin
Oct 3, 2016 at 1:53 pm
I’m not sure what everyone else was watching, but it looked to me like everyone was really excited and having a blast. Maybe the complainers just need to quit being pansies and whining all the time. Also, fwiw, the 85/15% number was thrown out by Sergio, who is a giant baby.
Jack Nash
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:11 pm
It’s obvious you musta been out of the room when the commentators were mentioning the morons and derogatory remarks towards the Euro players. You musta missed Bubba and the group he was following when he told some fans to cut it down a notch. There’s no problem with boisterous fans. There’s no problem with boisterous players. There’s no problem with the home fans cheering for missed Euro putts or shots. There IS a problem with vulgar and unnecessary shots at different opposition players.
Ajb
Oct 3, 2016 at 1:15 pm
As a neutral and just observing I couldn’t help but notice the similarity between the crowds at the golf and a Trump rally. A very similar energy and I bet if a survey had been done the majority of the golf crowd would have been Trump supporters.
Michael
Oct 3, 2016 at 1:55 pm
You aren’t a “neutral” and your comment makes that quite clear.
Ajb
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:12 pm
I reside in New Zealand hence the neutral tag but have played well over a hundred games in the USA. I have certainly never attended a Trump rally but what I have seen on the net the behavior from large numbers of both crowds is very similar
Ajb
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:18 pm
I live in New Zealand so consider myself a neutral. I have played golf at over 200 course in the USA over 30 years and all the people I have played and met have been wonderful.
I have never attended a Trump rally but the behavior at the golf from large numbers of the gallery seemed very similar to the behavior of his audiences.
daniel
Oct 5, 2016 at 9:02 am
Was there all weekend, wearing a trump pin. The people in MN were def not Trump fans lol. Super liberal. Also I think the media made this a bigger deal than it was. I only heard one thing in 2 entire days I felt was inappropriate. The Euros and Americans in the crowd were both very boisterous, I dont think any one was that out of line.
Bill W
Oct 3, 2016 at 12:56 pm
I quit watching tournaments on TV because of this stuff. It only shows the greed of the organizers to make money from alcohol and what classless trash shows up.
Michael
Oct 3, 2016 at 1:57 pm
The article and the experience of most people reflect that this does not go on during regular tour events. It doesn’t. I don’t know what you are watching, but it’s not the same PGA Tour and Euro Tour events I am watching.
gofish721
Oct 3, 2016 at 12:21 pm
What does anyone expect? It’s now a team game so it will get more vocal. When my team the Cavs played the Warriors, I had no trouble loudly cheering for LeBron and at times loudly booing the Warriors. But when they play is fair and they outperform us, I don’t boo or go abusively vocal. One has to tip his hat to Sergio to play like he did against Phil’s onslaught, sink that last pressure putt, and eke out a half. Wow! That was fun to watch!!
But in other sports pro games, when the players pass by fans going to the lockers rooms, the most obnoxious and offensive comments are made. It’s when you’re practically face to face. Same with passing through to the next tee and the situation with Rory. That may be where they need to focus crowd control. Limit the amount of rope the fans can press up against. And add a few more marshals there willing to eject over the top people to set a desired standard. Two things though… 1- you’ll never stop every classless and/or drunk fan from speaking out pathetic things. 2- make no mistake about it, the European fans who are used to being spectators at soccer matches (and we have seen some results of those), are no angels either. It’s going to happen. Still overall, it’s very enjoyable. I don’t let a few sully comments from a losing team knock the tarnish off this one!! From what I’ve read, Rory has handled it well.
KennyV
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:33 am
Wait till we get to Bethpage
KennyV
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:32 am
Two issues. One….the crowds are too big for the event. 40K paid entries and the PGA and sponsors add another 10K comp tickets. That’s 50K people watching 4 groups. You can’t see anything and sit around for an hour on an empty hole waiting on groups to arrive. What else is there to do but drink
Two….These same fans are idiots most every other week. Something about yelling “get In the hole” that seems cool. Maybe Willet was right. They need to be busted and marched out. Bring back a better spirit to the game.
RichC
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:31 am
Similar instances of bad behaviour and heckling were evident at the 1999 Ryder Cup in Brookline, in an effort to stop it at the next Ryder Cup on US soil, which was held at Oakland Hills, the tournament organisers imposed a total ban on alchohol on the South course, the tented village area was located on the North course which was the other side of the road, and while alcohol was available over there it was not allowed or for sale anywhere on the south course. The US team didn’t perform very well which could have been a factor, but it seemed that overall the behaviour of fans was excellent.
Dunce
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:28 am
Alcohol is the biggest issue, its a shame some morons overdo it, as most people can sit there and have a few beers and not cause problems. They should have a big, Oktoberfest style beer tent or something along those lines for those who want to drink, once you go in there you have to stay there the rest of day or leave the course.
Dunce is a wuss
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:29 pm
What a wussy un-American, un sporting event like comment. You have just been stripped of your man card.
Bill
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:23 am
I think some of the hecklers are egged on by the players themselves. The way some of the golfers over reacted to some of their putts was excessive and way beyond the norm. Some of the older golfer announcers even mentioned it and said in earlier Rider Cups those types out outburst never happened. I think if the players calmed down and acted more restrained and respectable then so will the crowd.
Dale Doback
Oct 3, 2016 at 12:48 pm
I’m sorry but nobody wants to watch unrestrained golf, that’s what makes the Ryder Cup fun. We get the golf clap and the quiet signs all year. The Ryder Cup is a different event. Most of what took place at the Ryder Cup was perfectly fine and no different than what has happened on European soil. Rory and other Euros definitely fueled the crowed which was fun to watch especially when the level of play was stepped up. This was definitely the best Ryder Cup I have ever watched as far as the quality of play from both sides. when the fans serenaded Rory with the song “Sweet Caroline,” I thought that was incredibly funny and clever heckling, I don’t even mind so much the cheering when one opponent missed a shot to allow a player to win a hole. I heard Euro fans cheering when USA players missed putts, but a line must be drawn for conduct and the Euro/USA committee need to have more/better security to deal with rare over the top incidents like what happened to Rory to keep vulgar insulted heckling out of the best event in golf.
Jack Nash
Oct 3, 2016 at 1:23 pm
Well said and to the point.
MSchad
Oct 3, 2016 at 1:49 pm
Big thumbs up!!! You articulated my sentiments exactly.
Dave
Oct 3, 2016 at 4:18 pm
I too agree with you whole heartedly!!
Mr. Wedge
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:21 am
The patriotism and heckling is a small part of what makes the Ryder cup a great event. But there’s a line between heckling, and just being rude and offensive, that unfortunately some people don’t understand. It’s one of the reasons I love golf and hate going to other types of sporting events. God forbid you go to an opposing team’s football game, you have to worry about getting beer poured down you back and getting into a fight. I enjoy the heckling, the boos for missed putts, etc, as long as it doesn’t cross that line. But the Ryder cup seems to attract a portion of that other crowd. You get it from both sides though. Rory even acknowledged that the Euro fans are pretty tough on the Americans when it’s on their turf.
Jackson Galaxy
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:19 am
I have more respect for Rory now than I ever did before. He played his heart out and was very gracious toward the US players afterward.
Galaxy Jackson
Oct 3, 2016 at 2:33 pm
He was wanting to back it up and just suck a D when he told the guy “If you want to back that up, I’m right here,” That was his invite for the dude to get a hummer
Bert
Oct 5, 2016 at 9:21 pm
Absolutely! What a match – can’t get any better but not to forget Phil and Sergio. Two fantastic matches that I’ll not forget.
AllBOdoesisgolf
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:05 am
doesn’t beat the Euros spitting on Tiger and calling him a N!@#$%….. but hey, just the Americans are bad….
SimonCordier
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:42 am
Do you want to substantiate that, or did you just make it up?
Gollie
Oct 3, 2016 at 12:40 pm
When did this happen? Seems like it would have been a big deal. Never heard about it.
Jack Nash
Oct 3, 2016 at 1:25 pm
You never heard about it because it never happened.
Brian DeGraf
Oct 3, 2016 at 10:29 am
As another has said, this type of behavior is not seen at the Masters. I think there two reasons for that. 1) No alcohol is allowed or sold. 2) Limited ticket sales. The larger the crowd, the more agitation among fans trying to see and hear.
GaHack1
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:11 am
Well they do sell beer at the Masters and I would say they have a larger crowd than at the Ryder Cup. But the patrons at Augusta would not stand for such nonsense, I believe they would take care of anyone doing such things.
Seth
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:19 am
Alcohol is sold at the Masters. Domestic and Import beer is available to the patrons at concession stands throughout the course. Liquor is available if you are fortunate enough to get into the more restricted areas (clubhouse, etc.) during tournament week.
I agree with you on the crowd size. I also think people have heard the stories of losing badges and being black listed if the Green Jackets determine your behavior is unacceptable. Also, a lot of people attending the Masters buy their tickets through a broker or hospitality company and there are very stiff penalties in place if the purchaser does not return the badge after play has ended.
Tom
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:31 am
Fans are also probably a lot more emotionally invested in the Ryder Cup than the Masters. Yes, you have your players to cheer on at Augusta, but you’re rooting for your country at the Ryder Cup.
Patricknorm
Oct 3, 2016 at 10:00 am
This isn’t popular but you have to eliminate or restrict alcohol sales at these events. Doing that settles the crowd down a bit and maybe 15% of the fans are going to be affected. The tickets are expensive, it’s a hassle to get there and move around the course and everyone is jacked up because it’s the Ryder Cup. Like I said it’s not popular but possibly the way to appeas the 85% who came to watch and appreciate great golf.
Reeche
Oct 3, 2016 at 9:21 am
Who is at fault ,
Danny willets brother or the “Gutter Press ” for asking for a golf professionals brothers opinions , ,,,,then printing it
larrybud
Oct 3, 2016 at 9:46 am
Right, because otherwise adults who are outside the ropes can’t help themselves but yelling such nonsense…
DrunkenStooper
Oct 3, 2016 at 9:12 am
Get the drunk idiots off the course and the problem will be solved. They are not golf fans anyway.
Bert
Oct 3, 2016 at 7:56 am
Rory was awesome and so was the American Team. Hecklers are unnecessary wasted trash.
Congratulations to both team for a wonderful golf adventure, one I’ll never forget.
Redx
Oct 3, 2016 at 9:04 am
+1 to that Bert.
Ben, for the record partisan enthusiasm is what Rory was responding to. That and the (tremendous) enthusiasm of the US plays (Reed in particular). He wasn’t responding to the minuscule percentage of idiots that worked to tarnish the reputation of US fans overall.
I do feel we expect more of golf fans than some other sports. As we expect more of the players with the rule of fair play and etiquette – it should be In the DNA for golfers.
Great event. Can’t wait until 2018 in Paris. Golf is great and the Ryder Cup is special. Keep the idiots out in whatever way possible but play on! We (the viewers) are the winners here.
Fredo
Oct 3, 2016 at 11:26 am
Right on Bert & Redx! There will always be ‘that’ clown skulking around. The emotion and fire power by the fans and players was exactly what golf needs right now. The Sunday match with Rory and P. Reed was riveting! And that will hopefully translate into new golfers, or bring back the golfers that have deserted the game.