Is Golf Being Ruined by the Rowdy Roar of the Crowd?

It wasn’t that long ago that professional golf wanted more noise.Tournament organizers celebrated the raucous atmosphere surrounding the par-3 16th hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where thousands of fans transformed one hole into a college-style stadium. The Ryder Cup became synonymous with patriotic chants and partisan crowds. Golf embraced sports betting partnerships that encouraged fans to become even more emotionally invested in every shot.The changing behavior of the crowd mirrored the disruptive and rambunctious conduct of the onscreen fans in the 1996 Adam Sandler comedy “Happy Gilmore,” which spawned a sequel last year.Now, the sport is trying to calm things down. The 154th Open Championship, which concluded last weekend at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, enforced a new spectator code of conduct known as “The Open Commitment.” Developed by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the policy acknowledged that golf’s effort to attract a younger, louder audience has also produced behavior many players believe has crossed the line.Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up not far from Royal Birkdale and received plenty of support, spoke of the complicated dynamic before the tournament began. “You want the fans to behave in the best way possible and to give everybody the equal opportunity, but it is very difficult wanting all that to go together,” he told reporters before the tournament, adding: “It’s difficult to ask everyone to behave in a manner that you would want while wanting the atmosphere to be as big as possible.”Playing in his hometown major championship, Southport native Mr. Fleetwood, 35, at one stage was one shot behind on the final day of The Open. But it was not to be a fairytale finish for the golfer who ultimately fell three shots short and finished in a tie for fourth at 7 under, behind the winner, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who won his first major title at the age of 39.More than 300,000 spectators attended the year’s final major championship, a record for The Open. They were greeted by signs reminding them to “Respect the Players,” “Respect the Links,” “Respect Each Other,” “Be Aware,” and “Enjoy Responsibly.” Repeated violators of the code were threatened with ejection from the grounds without a refund.The new policy marked the latest attempt by golf’s governing bodies to regain control after several high-profile incidents involving abusive fans over the past year.The tipping point may have come at last year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Long Island, where European players endured relentless heckling throughout the competition. More recently, reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark was subjected to repeated taunts during this year’s championship, while England’s Matt Fitzpatrick encountered jeering crowds at The Players Championship.For six-time major champion Sir Nick Faldo, simply removing disruptive spectators is no longer enough. “Absolutely disgusting,” Mr. Faldo said of the behavior at Bethpage Black. “They wanted it to put Europe off. Those players were worn out having to deal with that.”Mr. Faldo believes golf should adopt far stiffer penalties. “I think it should be in black and white, bold block capital letters that if you are ejected, you will be fined $5,000 or something,” he said. “Make it a serious number where they go, ‘Hang on, I don’t want to get thrown out, and it cost me five grand.'”Players generally support the R&A’s new initiative, though many acknowledge the challenge of balancing civility with creating an energetic atmosphere.“I think it’s a good idea within reason,” former U.S. Open champion Justin Rose of England said. “We do want crowds to turn up in force. We want our game to be supported in the best possible way. We want people to come out and have a good time.”Mr. Rose said players understand they are entertainers as well as competitors, but major championships should ultimately be decided by golf – not outside distractions. “You want the best player to come out of it,” he said. “Not other moments and other factors that become heated down the stretch.”He also worries that social media has normalized poor behavior. “Everything becomes a viral clip,” Mr. Rose said. “People feel like they’re a lot more part of the moment and can influence the moment.”Another growing concern is gambling. Sports wagering has become deeply intertwined with professional golf, and several players believe bettors are fueling much of the abuse. “I would say every golfer that’s played a professional tournament has had a message of abuse from someone related to gambling,” Mr. Fitzpatrick said. “You type in a player’s name who maybe isn’t playing well, and you’ll just see abuse after abuse after abuse.”Unlike many sports, golf presents unique opportunities for interference. “It’s very easy to influence a bet,” Mr. Fitzpatrick said. “Shouting on someone’s backswing or putting stroke—it’s really easy. It is definitely an issue.”The R&A’s initiative extends beyond spectators. Earlier this year, golf introduced a formal player code of conduct at major championships. LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann became the first player penalized under the policy when he received a two-shot penalty at the U.S. Open after throwing a club in frustration.It was the behavior of the player, not the fans, which generated attention at last week’s British Open. Two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who has missed the cut at all three major championships this season—the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open—avoided becoming one of the few elite players to go an entire major season without playing a weekend. Instead Mr. DeChambeau received a two-shot penalty for improving the area surrounding his ball, resulting in the golfer briefly threatening to withdraw from the tournament in protest at the officials’ decision.Inevitably the crowd made their feelings known about the saga when Mr. DeChambeau played his third round the day after the penalty. But unlike recent high-profile golf events, The Open was not marred by boisterous controversy. Mr. Fleetwood had said just before the tournament that a negative crowd can fire up a golfer. “It’s difficult to ask everyone to behave in a manner that you would want while wanting the atmosphere to be as big as possible,” he said, adding, “I’ve had support on my side 99 percent of the time, but I’ve also had it against me the odd time. Sometimes those have been my most enjoyable atmospheres because it gives you that little bit extra.”The extra support Mr. Fleetwood received last weekend ultimately wasn’t enough to deliver his first major championship. But it was a rare positive crowd story for golf, and he said he’d carry it for the rest of his life. “The crowd have been incredible,” he said, following his third round. “They’ve made a massive difference to me…that’s stuff that I’ll have for life. To be honest, how many people in the golfing world get to experience that with the crowd that much on your side?”

Is Golf Being Ruined by the Rowdy Roar of the Crowd?

Is Golf Being Ruined by the Rowdy Roar of the Crowd?

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