In my quest to be more positive, I’ll start this article with a huge round of applause for Cameron Young’s sensational victory at the Players Championship.
Stuffing one close on 17, rolling home a tricky birdie putt, then piping a drive 375 yards down the 18th fairway—the longest drive on that hole in the Shotlink era—is something sensational.
Young is a remarkable talent and it was only a matter of time before he broke out in a major way. He got his first PGA Tour win, then played awesome golf at the Ryder Cup. Now he has a Players title.
He’s not a one-trick pony, either. Young drives the eyes out of it but is also a tremendous iron player and an above-average putter.
There are a lot more victories in his future. The floodgates might be opening.
We had a great Players Champ week. What a finish. Deserving champion. And the conditions were phenomenal! The Tour finally got the memo that a firm and fast Sawgrass is what we want to see.
But I need to get something off my chest
OK, now onto the negative part (please be patient, there is only so much about myself I can change).
What is with this never-ending movement of golf crowds yelling the dumbest shit you’ve ever heard immediately after someone hits?
I know it’s been bad for many years but it feels like every shot with a crowd present is permanently open-mic night. The soundtrack to tournament golf is a collection of fans trying to rise above the cacophony to get a rise out of their friends. We hear fewer roars and more disjointed shouts.
And now it goes well beyond that—we’re talking about golf crowds getting increasingly more belligerent (and, let’s face it, dumber) over the years.
You could hear these imbeciles giving crap to Matthew Fitzpatrick as he stepped to the 18th tee Sunday at TPC Sawgrass … because he plays for Europe in the Ryder Cup?
This is embarrassing behavior from a golf crowd. Since when has nationality mattered at a Tour event to the point where fans need to root for Americans?
Sure, I guess we can start chanting U-S-A at Young. It’s a little weird but it’s fine.
Of course, it’s reasonable for the crowd to favor one player over the other.
But booing a guy as he steps up to hit one of the most important tee shots of his life?
That’s way over the line—and it wasn’t the only time the crowd was acting in a way we have become accustomed to, at least here in the United States where post-COVID bro culture is pretty representative of modern-day golf galleries.
Just look at what happened at the Ryder Cup. It’s disgraceful.
It seems as if too many people view golf events as an excuse to drink and start yelling whatever the hell they want at guys, whenever the hell they want to do it. They think they are invincible.
It’s clearly been getting worse as so many events try to copy the Phoenix Open atmosphere.
And this isn’t even mentioning how someone can gamble on a player and then berate them verbally in a way that is really outside the normal scope of what a golf tournament should contain.
Kick (those fans) off the Tour, Doug.
I miss when golf crowds had some class
Golf should hold itself to a higher standard than this drivel.
Other sports have more substantial boundaries between the crowd and players. Jeering is a part of the fabric of sports but it shouldn’t be a part of the fabric of Tour events in the way we saw on Sunday.
Is it too much to ask for golf fans to have a modicum of respect?
This is why the Masters and Open Championship are on another level. Patrons/galleries are civilized and only supportive. You don’t boo at Augusta or St Andrews. Come on, now.
It’s a fine line. If you’re going to throw a party around a golf tournament, we can expect there to be some fans who don’t know how to handle their liquor or act like a normal human being.
But the players themselves are owed a fair opportunity to play this extremely difficult game without insults being thrown at them during their pre-shot routine. This isn’t hockey or football.
At least wait until after the shot is hit to yell “mashed potatoes” (very original).
Am I out of line here? Let me know below in the comments.
Top Photo Caption: Matt Fitzpatrick tees off on the 18th hole Sunday. (GETTY IMAGES/Richard Heathcote)
Joe Cook
3 months ago
Over many long years I’ve seen decency plummet, as my teachers and professors said cursing shows your lack of intelligence and vocabulary. Add alcohol to the mix and you arrive at where we’re at. Limit the drinks have undercover officers in the crowds and pull them out throw them in jail and ban them. Not to sound like an old man but our society has sunk to no repercussions for breaking laws or rules