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The Heckling Of Hideki Should Signal The End Of The WM Phoenix Open As We Know It

BY Connor Lindeman
Feb 10th 2026
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We all saw what happened to Hideki Matsuyama on the 18th hole of the last round of the WM Phoenix Open, right?

Or, rather, we all heard it.

Just as he was pulling back the putter for what would have inevitably been the tournament-winning putt, a rowdy fan yelled something incoherent, causing Matsuyama to stop dead in his tracks.

Matsuyama ultimately missed and ended up losing in a playoff to Chris Gotterup

And that doesn’t even take into account the alleged “chair drop” during his backswing on the first and only playoff hole.

He was clearly rattled and one can only speculate as to the impact that the ill-timed noises (both intentional and seemingly unintentional) had on his psyche.

To me, the heckling that Matsuyama endured, specifically on the 18th green, should signal the end of the WM Phoenix Open as we know it.

The simple fact is that you can’t have a tournament that is known to elicit rowdy fan behavior and then expect said fans to be quiet during the most important moments of the tournament.

Because you can’t change the reputation of the WM Phoenix Open. You can’t put the toothpaste back into the tube.

For years, the “People’s Open” has gotten away with things that it shouldn’t have. And this is the result.

Douche bag streamers are paying people to curse at players. Fans are committing the cardinal sin of golf etiquette on the 72nd hole of a tournament with millions of dollars and ranking points on the line.

What was once deemed the “fun” stop on the PGA Tour has become one that continues to excuse awful fan behavior with no repercussions.

Look, I’m far from a purist. But it needs to change.

The WM Phoenix Open needs to be rethought. Reimagined. Perhaps even scrapped and restarted. Because, as it’s presently constituted, it does not lend itself well to golf fans nor the players who have so much at stake.

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Connor Lindeman

Connor is MyGolfSpy's resident sneakerhead and the authority on all things golf shoe performance. He's tested over 150 different pairs (and counting). When he isn't scrolling Twitter to find his next golf shoe purchase, you can find him at the piano or trying a new dessert place with his wife and daughter. #Lefty

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Left testy

4 months ago

Maybe if they posted the name of the heckler,good people would go find Him &beat him within an inch of his life with a Louisville Slugger & that would end drunk fans being dicks

D

4 months ago

There’s a time and place where a little noise is part of the game at the WM. The last putt on the final hole to win…as the player takes the putter back…ain’t it. If you dont recognize the difference, help yourself to a bowl of D’s on the way out.

Matt

4 months ago

If you don’t like it, then don’t play in it, don’t attend it and don’t watch it.

Having said that, all it would take to change it is to stop selling alcohol. That’s it, nothing more.

mg

4 months ago

Interesting comments, I have not watched that adolescent Schiff show since they moved that rock for woods. Truly disgusting antics by the fanatics. Golf used to be a gentleman’s game.

Urmomlovesme

4 months ago

How about golfers build some composer like other professional athletes? Stop acting like babies.

Dawg Golfer

4 months ago

The pros need to quit egging the fans on at the par 3 16th, and stop whipping them into a frenzy. It’s foolish to think the fans’ behavior wouldn’t spill over to the last 2 holes. Also, I believe if, as a pro, I was in contention at the end of the tourney, I would consult with my caddy, put in my earplugs, pull the club, let the heathen rage and hit the shot uninterrupted.

Nick J

4 months ago

What are you all uptight old men? Loosen up and have some fun one tournament a year. Heckling happens at every tournament. Due to the steps taking 2026 was way les rowdy then it has been in the past. Over half a million people attended this year = this tournament isn’t changing or going anywhere, and I’m all for it!

Meech

4 months ago

We see players back off shots at every tour event due to fan noise. This isn’t isolated to Phoenix. How many times have we seen Tiger stop his swing and back off the ball?
And everyone knows this event is going to be a party. The fans know it, the announcers know it, and the journalists know it. The golfers know it and still sign up. Hideki has won this event twice despite the loud atmosphere. To discuss taking the party out of the party event of the year is crazy.

CK

4 months ago

Has anyone ever heard the saying, “you give him an inch, he will take a foot, give him a foot, he will take a yard”? So on and so on. The sums up that tournament year after year. In my opinion it has “jumped the shark” and become a caricature of itself.

James Reddy

4 months ago

I agree, the idea that professionals are being overly sensitive is truly fascinating. Why can’t they simply do what they’re paid to do while enduring heckling and inappropriate comments? I mean, who doesn’t enjoy being verbally abused at work? And obviously, having a beer thrown at your spouse, who is there to support you while you work, sounds like the ideal environment to perform at your absolute best. Truly inspiring.

No one is forcing these professionals to play. If they can’t handle it, they can always quit. And if they can’t tolerate that kind of environment, one has to ask: why are they even playing at all?

Now, jokes aside, the reality is simple. These “fans” don’t need to attend events if they can’t respect the rules and etiquette of the game. Regardless of the sport, if someone threw a drink at an athlete’s spouse, they would be facing serious consequences without debate.

Golf, in particular, demands an extraordinary level of concentration. A golf swing occurs in roughly 1.2 seconds and relies on precise sequencing. Sudden noise immediately before or during the swing can disrupt transition tempo, downswing timing, and the release point. Even a minor break in rhythm can turn a perfectly struck shot into a heel-cut.

It also affects motor control under pressure. At the professional level, swings are largely automatic, driven by procedural memory. Unexpected noise forces the brain to shift into conscious control even for a split second which tightens muscles, slows reaction time, and reduces face control. Humans also have an involuntary startle response to sudden sounds. When professionals are swinging at 115–125 mph with millimetre-level face control, a cough, phone beep, or shout can quite literally alter wrist angles mid-swing.

Elite players are simultaneously managing wind, yardage, spin, lie, and shot shape. They deliberately narrow their focus just before execution. Noise breaks that tunnel, forcing a mental reset or worse, a half-committed swing. Sound is also critical feedback for professionals: strike quality, turf interaction, and face contact all matter.

In short, golf is not the same as other sports. There are very real reasons why silence during the swing is essential. Arguing otherwise misses the point entirely.

Matt

4 months ago

I’d do horrible things for the opportunity to be verbally abused at work for $20K a week. That’s what last place earned.

Matt Schueren

4 months ago

If you are a fan of golf it is a terrible tournament to attend. Way too many people, way too much alcohol. It is impossible to move around the course if you want to follow different groups.

Gary Hamelin

4 months ago

The “people’s open” indeed. A depressing comment on American sports fan infantilism.

Ktel

4 months ago

100% agree. I’ll add I believe it’s this tournament that led to the disgraceful behavior at the Ryder Cup.
It’s become its own monster, what was once a fun diversion from the norm has become embarrassing and out of control.
Ultimately it’s up to the players. They can change it if they want by laying down the law, then boycotting if need be, but I doubt that will happen.

Dave Dister

4 months ago

There should never be another Ryder Cup in the state of New York and every ticket to every golf tournament should state that rude, disrespectful behavior will incur permanent expulsion and a misdemeanor with an automatic $200 fine. I’m embarrassed to watch “ugly Americans,”

Bag advice Man 2024

4 months ago

This is a great tournament and it’s hilarious the number of old men yelling at clouds there are in this site. Most of whom, btw, were glued to their TVs watching the WM.

CK

4 months ago

The old man yelling at clouds and boomer comments are getting old. I agree, all who love golf were glued to the set but appalled by what happened. Behavior matters.

Jim

4 months ago

Lout lover.

Ivo

4 months ago

100% right

Jerry

4 months ago

Yeah OK … do we silence crowds during baseball or even game 7 of the world series so a pitcher can throw a perfect strike.. do we silence crowds at football games or even the superbowl so QB’s can call cadence/play and make perfect passes… get over it, play golf & hit the ball you p***y, if you’re any good then you should be able to overcome the mental distractions and make your shots… otherwise go play curling where it’ll be quiet for your concentration, because no one’s there nor watching… play better is the answer… I’m sure most these players are drinking & playing music during their casual rounds making side bets along the way… pansies need total silence, and even when it is total silence, they’re still missing fairways & short putts … get over it

CK

4 months ago

That is an antagonistic take. Go watch LIV. I bet you would be a pansie if the guys in your group were yelling in your backswing.

CK

4 months ago

That is an antagonistic take. Go watch LIV. I bet you would be a pansie if the guys in your group were yelling in your backswing and then took your money.

The Swami

4 months ago

agreed. the idea that a professional golfer at the peak of his (or her) game can be distracted by something going on around them in the background noise (imagined or legit real like these were) is beyond belief.

why do pro golfers need total silence to concentrate? no one has ever adequately answered this question. shouldn’t they be more locked in mentally than a random public golfer?

if i can hit my golf shot (good or bad) without being affected by background noise, coughing, talking, deliberate noises, etc, why can’t the pros, who are by definition beyond belief better than me or anyone else?

M. Collins

4 months ago

The whole thing is inexcusable. Too many fans think they’re more important than the actual competitors. It’s shameful.

Wes

4 months ago

This is the world we live in…no respect for the game or the players. Add betting and beer and you’ve got a recipe for low-class behavior.

mg

4 months ago

Indeed

Matt Myers

4 months ago

I blame Happy Gilmore!

Alex

4 months ago

Start giving the idiots who scream during someone’s backswing (or other boorish behaviors) lifetime bans to all PGA tour events. They can yell at their TV/streaming service

Tom

4 months ago

Tired of direction of golf. Let’s ask them to not take a drink before every shot or play in less than 5 1/2 hours. Prima Donnas.

David French

4 months ago

Get rid of it or move it to another venue. The amount of interactions I had that were disturbing was more than any enjoyable interactions. Someone spilled a beer on my elderly father. Thunderbirds are jokes, others can raise funds and probably more if they were given an entire golf event. Can’t enjoy watching any golf here.

Ron

4 months ago

A lot of truth to this article, however, as a volunteer there the past 6 years I can say I have seen people kicked out in a heartbeat, no questions asked, for that behavior. I know it doesn’t help the golfer who was interrupted, but when the author says “without repercussions” that is not accurate. They have made wholesale changes to calm it down; however, just like at the Ryder cup, there will always be those who take it too far.

Bill

4 months ago

Is this not the behaviour the PGA wanted at the Ryder cup and is now carrying over? Players should just not play the WM torment. How quickly the PGA would correct this this type of behsvior

Fran

4 months ago

Excellent idea

Ken

4 months ago

The WM Open has become
g a r b a g e !!!

Ken Owensby

4 months ago

The Phoenix Open has lost it’s place in golf. There are many other venues that could host a tournament. If a venue cannot keep it’s fans in check than drop them from the PGA schedule. How about replacing the Phoenix Open with a tournament at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, CA. It is a beautiful course with the ocean lining many holes.

bob rief

4 months ago

100% amigo, this tournament has inspired “in the hole” assholes world wide. Time to turn it off. Its on the Thunderbirds and the Tour put the clamps on. Stop selling liquor/beer anywhere on Saturday/Sunday would be a good start.
b

Bhtgator90

4 months ago

Couldn’t agree more with you. Far from a purist myself but that was way over the line.

HundredWeight

4 months ago

LOL ~ The Tour started the trend when it partnered with gambling sites. It’s reaping the harvest it planted. Too many conflicting storylines to get upset at this point.

John Paton

4 months ago

JP Australia
Thank you MyGolfSpy – someone over there has had to intestinal fortitude to say what needs to be said – there was nothing wrong with the WM until it went too far – but just another reason why I believe many of my golf club members never watch the PGA Tour and that’s sad

Roger

4 months ago

Agree 100 %

Christopher

4 months ago

You guys are all too uptight. The players know what they are getting in to. Dont sign up if you cant handle it. Nobody is twisting their arms to enter. I love watching it, every other athlete in the world has to play under similar conditions.

Eric

4 months ago

Great article where you present no ideas or solutions to the problem. Just a rant.

Willy T

4 months ago

I have read all the replies to the debacle at the WM & most of the comments displayed some sense of coherent thought process other where just trying have their 20 seconds of fame. Let’s take a step back to the Ryder Cup & the absolute embarrassment displayed by attendees which until this past wknd was the latest example of how attendees put themselves above the actual event so they can brag to friends “that was me making absurd noises to negatively impact a pro golf event. Anyone making a comparison to basketball or other sport is clueless. The concentration needed to complete a successful
golf swing is very different than a 3 pt basket. Golf is a very demanding & requires full concentration to execute the swing & making contact. Then we have the WM & absolute failure of the Thunderbirds to rein in this ongoing behavior which has diminished the quality of golf. That said until the PGA & tournament officials take serious action to reduce fan interference that affect the outcome it will not change. I
I for one cheered on the European team during the Ryder given the despicable behavior of supposed “golf fans” & now the actions who feel empowered by alcohol or their ego like the streamer paying fans to affect a golfer…then careful what you wish for tournament officials because it’s going to negatively impact future of PGA…

Albatrossman

4 months ago

Great article Connor, and necessary. Golf is certainly on a downhill route as both fans and players are increasingly getting further and further away from behaving with respect and integrity. Lately I am drawn more to watching snooker tournaments where almost all players are gentlemen who frequently call penalties on themselves. I cannot recall the last time I saw a professional golfer call a penalty o him- or herself. Clearly what happened at the WM was a loss for everyone involved, including the winner Gotterup as no good person would like to win that way (not to his own fault, but anyway…). By the way, really poor that the PGA Tour does not even mention the ocurred on their own website. As golf authorities/stakeholders are not able to build a truly worldwide tour for the best players, interest will surely fade away and with people behaving like at the recent Ryder Cup or WM…do we really want to encourage the show by watching? I don’t think so.

Andrew

4 months ago

Maybe instead of holding the fans accountable, we start holding the players accountable?

Us amateurs are being told we must complete a round in under 4.5 hours and these guys are playing 5+ hour rounds in a 3-some!

Dave

4 months ago

I don’t see the comparison. one is pure slow play the other is pure boorish behavior. The people that shout at players during swings and or make noise when the player is swinging cant be serious golf fans. They are there for the beer and the vibe. The only way to change the behavior is to change the venue or the environment. This is the cure puppy that has grown into the large dog that craps on the carpet, Chews on the drapes and chase the neighbors. If this were a tennis tournament the offender would be immediately escorted out. Unfortunately that has not been the case in golf.

Ken Owensby

4 months ago

What the heck are you talking about. Holidling players accountable… for what?

League Golfer

4 months ago

I guess this article might not have been the time to talk about why it takes the pros, who are playing in twosomes or threesomes, over five hours and sometimes five and a half hours to play 18 holes. But since someone brought it up… here goes….
The pros aren’t even taking very many shots, obviously! I don’t want to hear “But they are playing for a lot of money”or “It’s their livelihood”. They have been hitting shots and putts since they were teenagers and the pros should be fined if they can’t play in under 4 and a half hours. Their slow play influences casual golfers to over analyze their own shots and putts and slow down all our rounds at our local courses.

Richard Andreachuk

4 months ago

Maybe put an asterisk by this win, fan interference!

Darrell Marleau

4 months ago

Totally agree! This is a hot mess of a tournament. Too many drunken bros who know nothing of the game. They are dabblers who go for a party. That is not what the PGA Tour is. It is the expression of the best golfers the world has. But unless the Thunderbirds get a grip on this awful behavior, fewer and fewer of the top pros will be part of the tournament. This is the worst tournament for rowdiness on the circuit and unless gotten in hand next year, it should be scrapped.

Clay Nicolsen

4 months ago

Agree 100%. Something drastic has to change, and soon.
I was watching a tv interview with Brad Faxon a good 15+ years ago, and the interviewer was asking a series of rapid-fire questions. One was something like: “Name your 3 favorite tournaments.” After Faxon answered, the interviewer said: “I noticed you didn’t mention Phoenix. Why not?” Faxon laughed and said: “Because Phoenix isn’t a golf tournament.”
Here’s what needs to happen: When some drunken a-hole fan screams something stupid while a top-10 OWGR player, top-tier draw in the tournament, is in the middle of his swing, the player needs to simply stop, walk over to his marker, and say: “I withdraw.”

David

4 months ago

That was the last time watching the tournament for me. The giddy anticipation from the announcer shills was more than I could take. Between the constant adverts for gambling odds, the inane interviewers chasing down players during their rounds and the competition to fill the air with nonsesnse it’s become unwatchable.

dancinbear

4 months ago

This is one tournament a year where people aren’t doing it with a broomstick up their you know what. Let the crowd let loose for one tournament. was what happened on the play-off hole wrong, sure. But how many times have you seen some bonehead pull a similar move at other tournaments? Plenty. Golfers are professional and can back away, regroup and proceed. If the Pro doesn’t like it, skip that tournament. Hidecki lost the tournament, was it because of that, maybe, maybe he just missed the put like he did on some other holes. If you don’t like playing in it, don’t play in it. If you don’t like watching it, don’t watch it. Personally, I enjoy the tournament.

GenoK

4 months ago

Being obnoxious means removal and banned from further PGA Tournaments for a year. If a second strike, you’re DONE!! If these fans WANT to, go to LIV tournaments. They have music, strobe lights during night play etc. I stopped watching the PGA due to its position on LIV from the beginning and haven’t changed. I believe the PGA is acting like a petty monopoly, yet promotes inclusivity?? The first LIV tournament 2026 was won by a 23 yr old rookie named Elvis Smylie, with John Raum breathing down his neck shooting a final round 62 to the kid’s 63 for a 1 stroke victory, AT NIGHT. Cameron Smith was the kid’s Team Captain and they won the Team title. Very exciting!

Hopp Man

4 months ago

Exhibition golf is your deal, we get, most don’t like it for various reasons.

Steve C.

4 months ago

ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!!! It’s a circus now and needs to change if it’s to be a “LEGITMATE” tournament.

Bill

4 months ago

Solution is designate specific areas away from the course course where phones can be used or get removed from the tournament.

John

4 months ago

Painfully obvious the comments about allowing excessive noise is coming from 25 plus handicappers who don’t know the difference! We all have great laughs and comraderie when playing our rounds, but respectfully the majority of us shut up and stand still when the other players are hitting the ball and when done, the banter and teasing picks right up again!

KeithHan79

4 months ago

I think Tiger had the best answer about why he no longer played the WM: “Because Phoenix isn’t a golf tournament.”

Greg

4 months ago

Agree with that. Is a circus but there should be some consequence to those Who interfered with Hideki

jessecuster44

4 months ago

It’s simple. SHRINK THE GAME.

To quote Shooter McGavin, certain folks need to go back to their shanties if all they are going to do is act like jerks on the golf course.

James Shepard

4 months ago

Limiting alcohol would be impossible at a golf tournament. What should happen is remove the stands at 16. Then people would follow their favorite players and all the barflies would stay away.

Fake

4 months ago

This is the best solution.

David

4 months ago

American golf is leading the world into rowdy, boisterous and unsporting behaviour as demonstrated at the WM and even more so, the Ryder Cup. Similar behaviour is starting to be seen in the U.K. and no doubt across the rest of the world as delinquents copy the behaviour of the USA fans. I’d advocate a Masters style zero tolerance approach in all tournament play, starting with the WM.

KJC

4 months ago

I do not think the additional of an NFL executive has any hope of things becoming less rowdy. The only thing worse would be the addition of a hockey executive to the team. Golf will go down this hellhole until the fans stop watching. Short of that its all about eyeballs. I agree that gambling has ruined sports. But if that is what the crowd demands, that is what the emperor will give them.

Steve Summitt

4 months ago

Cheering for your favorite golfer is totally different than acting like an alcohol filled sub-human. Perhaps all tournaments should shut off alcohol sales at 12:00 noon.

Harlan

4 months ago

Why does anyone think the tournament is fun or fair. And allowing gambling is not going to be a positive influence on golf over the next several years, and that should be obvious. Allowing the kind of behavior this tournament permits in anything but a good thing. It simply draws the worst fans in sports.

Dale

4 months ago

I do admire the long established linage of good behavior in golf. It’s an excellent standard but WM has allowed folks to do this, even enabled/encouraged this( remember the cleaning bottles from the green). SO it’s up to them or the PGA about behavior standards. But the flip side is why does some noise prevent a golfer from performing well, have you never seen an NBA player at the foul line to sink the winning free throw on the road ??

Clark

4 months ago

….or a baseball player trying to hit a MOVING ball, curving away from him, moving at 93 mph, while 40,000 people are screaming?

Fake

4 months ago

I see your point and Dale’s point. My counterargument is that golf is just an entirely different atmosphere that is not played in front of thousands of screaming fans, and it’s not how the golfers prepare or play.

Jason jay

4 months ago

Dale, here’s the difference.
Imagine your home bordering an active rail road. Over time, you’ll sleep easily through the night. That’s baseball.
Now imagine being sound asleep in a quiet countryside home when an M-80 explodes in a garbage can underneath your window. You’d jump out of your skin.
That’s golf.
Your analogy is apples to wheelbarrows.

Jeff

4 months ago

Best comment is from Jason Jay.

Gary

4 months ago

Conner, clutching your pearls here. I’m sure Pro athletes smirk a bit when they read whining like this, they face hostile crowds yelling at them all the time. Granted golf is pin drop quiet and a shot is disruptive. But Hideki is a pro. He expects disruption. He backed off and reset. What can next is on him. Was it stupid on the part of the spectator? Sure. But you can’t police that yelling. And the atmosphere at WM doesn’t mean for more yelling. If it was constant you might have an argument. I don’t know how you “rebrand” The People’s Open. As Rory said “play better”.

Andrew

4 months ago

Nope. “Man up and deal with it” is a pretty lazy take. See the rest of the comments, below. This behavior is fueled by betting and alcohol and has no place in golf.

Ned Kaldo

4 months ago

All lot of great comments here and thank you for writing this article. Golf is not football, basketball or soccer. A campaign for sensible behavior is a great idea. I put a lot of this on the PGA Tour and the PGA of America.

Keith Gilbert

4 months ago

Thank you for expressing this perspective. I totally agree that the spirit and core of golf is around civility and collegiality and what happened at the Ryder Cup…starting at the top with the US Captain’s comments and attitude…was the antithesis of what golf stands for. The desire to win does not have to begin with denigration of the opponent or braggadocio about your own skills. And, most importantly, it encourages the fans to behave badly. It diminishes one of the best sports we have. The PGA needs to take concrete, specific action now.

Hopp Man

4 months ago

What about Rory’s comments after the previous Ryder cup, guaranteeing a win, you do that expect to get it right back at you.

Stephen

4 months ago

It is only a matter of time. The Buick Open in Grand Blanc, MI had hole 17 known for its crazy atmosphere. That was until someone rolled an apple on the green right in the path of Tiger’s putt. That was the last year they held that event.

bama no1

4 months ago

Maybe individuals should be fined, lets say $1000. There are plenty of people who can point the individual out. Yelling the stupid mash potatoes in a players back swing so forth should warrant the fine.

Nick J

4 months ago

Mashed Potatoes is yelled after they hit the ball. Not in backswing.

Rob Jones

4 months ago

Why would anyone not expect this to be the result? Condone bad behavior and you can expect to get it. Biggest issue with it is that it’s spreading outside the original infection and is no longer confined to the WM tournament.

Ricky G

4 months ago

Probably should take the Ryder Cup out of New York or maybe even do away with it totally – due to poor fan behavior. Just joking! I think we all agree that there will always be idiots at any event. The Waste Management is a great tournament.

Michael Wright

4 months ago

And how does one do that? Hard to put tha genie back in the bottle.

REC911

4 months ago

The majority of the people attending have probably never even hit a golf ball. They dont know anything about golf, they are there for the party. This is why they get huge attendance #s. The organizers need to decide how to keep the party #s they want but get the fans to chill a bit. Tough challenge at this point hence scrapped/do over may be the only solution.

Players seem to be ok with the craziness to an extent. I am not a fan about what happened to Hideki at all but the fans aren’t going to be quiet everywhere else and be allowed to run wild on the 16th.

Clark

4 months ago

Maybe require “golfer ID”. Gotta show your USGA bag tag to get in!!! :-)

frank p cruthers

4 months ago

Thank you!
The essence of sport is a level playing field. WM has gone out of their way to deny that to some competitors.
Organizations such as First Tee teach courtesy, integrity, fairness THROUGH golf. WM is the antithesis of that, promoting drunkenness, boorishness, chaos.

JT

4 months ago

Agree – but it’s not just this tournament. The behavior of fans at the Ryder Cup should have been a wake up call. The PGA Tour needs an all out campaign addressing fan behavior. It’s not enough to punish those that misbehave. Their needs to be a vision that encompasses the long history of golf being a civil sport with respect for your fellow competitor. It’s why we don’t call the person we’re competing against our “opponent” but rather refer to them as our fellow playing partner. Appeal to the proud traditions of golf and it’s culture.

Greg O'Connor

4 months ago

All tournaments should have vetted spectators. Just because you can afford to go or get selected in a lottery doesn’t mean you get to attend. Two drink limits would also assist in fan behavior. If you misbehave you are banned from all tournaments.

David Elswick

4 months ago

There’s video footage showing that a volunteer working the tournament dropped a chair in his backswing.

Andrew the Great!

4 months ago

But the question is whether it was intentional.

I know a guy who took a sip of water at an inopportune time at an LPGA event in Virginia and coughed in the backswing of Gerina Pillar (IIRC).

Dr. Bloor

4 months ago

I don’t disagree, although I’m skeptical that anything changes until big names stop showing up and making it clear to organizers why.

David

4 months ago

The big names have stopped turning up. Very few Europeans in particular.

dr. bloor

4 months ago

Some of them. Scheffler, Hovland, Matsuyama, Schauffele, Morikawa, Koepka, and a number of other recognizable names were all on hand to lend legitimacy to the chaos.

Fake

4 months ago

It’s pretty bad, same with the Ryder Cup. There’s nothing creative about hitting a player’s wife with a beer or calling her names. There’s nothing clever about trying to manipulate the outcome of the match. I know this isn’t popular, but I can’t help but feel that gambling is ruining sports.

david price

4 months ago

My thoughts exactly. Stop the betting. That pretty much stops the issue(s), IMHO.

Sam

4 months ago

Absolutely, but don’t forget the booze. Combine the two, and this is what you end up with. The Ryder Cup was an absolute embarrassment.

Dean

4 months ago

100% Jake. Gambling has NO place in sports. Many dont realize, the WM lost its diamond status because of its drunken debauchery. Its a run of the mill shit show with usually great weather.

ForeLeft

4 months ago

Sports gambling is as old as the sport being gambled on. Don’t be naive.

Hopp Man

4 months ago

Ever hear of Ladbrokes? They were gambling on golf in the UK long before they gambled on it in the U. S.

Scott

4 months ago

Agree completely. Gambling at the level we have now is absolutely going to kill the game. And personally I think a charge of disorderly conduct wouldn’t be out of place for these guys.

Dr. Dave

4 months ago

This comment is far more intelligent than most of the others here. I’ll bet (irony intended) that the person who yelled during Hideki’s putt on 18 had some sort of opposing wager.

Jason S

4 months ago

Players should speak out about this. Players need to stop coming, giving these type of issues as reasons. That may be the only way it changes.

jevan

4 months ago

Shooter was right.

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