The Ryder Cup organizers lost control of the fans at Bethpage Black.
The abuse hurled at Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry saw countless fans thrown out, but that didn’t stop the outpouring of toxicity throughout the weekend. European and American players have both said that supporters crossed the line at the tournament.
We knew what to expect from the New York fans. Luke Donald used VR headsets to prepare his players for the heckling in the build-up to the Ryder Cup. Everyone was ready for it, except the event organizers.
State troopers were sent in on late notice to cool tempers during McIlroy’s match, but it was too little, too late. Somehow, Bethpage Black wasn’t prepared for the frenzied fans.
The PGA of America couldn’t even align on its post-event messaging. Their President, Don Rea, defended the fans, while their CEO said their behavior was unacceptable. Rea has since walked back his comments.
Over a week on from the Ryder Cup, Bob Harig questioned why the organizers didn’t take steps to prevent the fan behavior from getting out of hand.
Bob Harig questions why announcement wasn’t made at the Ryder Cup
Fans were ejected, state troopers were called to the course, and messages warning fans about their behavior were displayed on the big screens in an attempt to regain control over the spectators. But those messages were booed, and the abuse continued.
Harig, speaking on 5 Clubs, criticized the event organizers for not being proactive and prepared.
He said, “I’m amazed how reactive they were instead of proactive. We have known for 10 years what it was going to be like at Bethpage. It has been one of the talking points ever since it was awarded. To think that they were not more prepared for what was coming is disappointing.
“Even doubling down on it over the weekend after a horrible Saturday afternoon, I know they don’t want to kick people out but when something is happening on the sixth hole and you know that group is then going to the seventh hole, don’t you get word to the seventh hole? ‘Hey look it’s been really bad back here we need to be prepared up there.’
“Because there is such lulls in play you could even make an announcement at the greens. You could make an announcement on the tee to the fans. You can give them the no tolerance spiel right there and why they were afraid to do that I don’t understand.”
The PGA of America will need to take significant lessons from Bethpage Black ahead of Hazeltine in 2029. While it’s unlikely to be as hectic as the New York event, they cannot afford a repeat of the fan behavior seen at Bethpage.
Fan behavior ‘backfired’ on Team USA says Bob Harig
It was a challenging environment for anyone to play in, and that doesn’t just apply to European players. But Team Europe pulled together and rallied, playing their best golf in the face of abuse on Saturday.
Harig said that in the end, the fan behavior at Bethpage Black hurt the Americans more than it helped them.
He said, “The irony is that it did not help the US side. If that was their intention, it backfired greatly. It motivated the Europeans. That’s the thing, they still won, and it inspired them. They played even better.”
In a Ryder Cup moment that will go down in folklore, McIlroy told fans to shut up before hitting his approach shot to four feet. He was clearly motivated and inspired by the abuse fired his way.
Meanwhile, Justin Thomas, his opponent in the match, appeared deeply uncomfortable with the environment. Xander Schauffele recently admitted that he was on the receiving end of some fan comments at Bethpage Black, too.
He said prior to the Baycurrent Classic, “New York’s a tough place to play for anyone. I even got a few comments to play better. I’m not taking much personally when it comes to sort of things fans say.”
It was a monumental own goal, and one that damaged the PGA of America’s reputation and Team USA’s chances of winning.
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