The PGA Tour has enjoyed very much privilege since the Covid-19 pandemic started. As people were mandated to stay at home, the PGA Tour was busy running tournaments while padding themselves in the back. They bragged about been the first sport to come back while American families were suffering.
The PGA Tour didn’t care, and they had individuals at PGA Tour Radio and The Golf Channel carry their dirty water. As a golf fan, and a player, I have pretty much written out Jay Monahan and the Tour for their hypocritical stance on many issues, from race to the state of the game.
Watching golf has been painful in the last two years. I didn’t miss much the fan experience, not having to hear “Mash Potatoes” or “Get in the Hole” was refreshing. Once the fans returned, I knew exactly what to expect.
I always thought the Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau rivalry was cool and interesting. I don’t know what the Tour thought it was going to happen once the fans were allowed back in. You have fans who love Koepka, like me, and you have those who love DeChambeau. It was only natural that fan heckling was going to be part of the rivalry.
It is obvious Koepka has managed this drama much better while DeChambeau has melted down on national television and stormed press conferences.
Some commentators, like Michael Collins of ESPN.com, are going as far as blaming the fans for DeChambeau state of mind. Is he serious? If DeChambeau can’t handle a few fans yelling “Brooksy” perhaps he needs to find another line of work.
Heckling has been part of sports, and golf, for a long time, dating back to WW2. Sam Snead was heckled at the 1942 PGA Championship while playing against Jim Turnesa. The reason behind it was the fact that Turnesa had enlisted in the United States Army and fans didn’t know Snead had enlisted with the United States Navy.
Tournament marshals could not control it and Snead ended up telling the marshals to ignore it and allow the fans to say whatever they wanted to say. Many of the hecklers were soldiers stationed at Ft. Dix and they were cheering for the Army guy, Jim Turnesa.
At the end of the day, the PGA Tour has brought this upon themselves. This is the price of growing the game and now Jay Monahan wants to put the genie back inside the bottle by telling fans they will be ejected from events if the yell “Brooksy”.
I’m all about decorum on the golf course but yelling someone’s name is not heckling and I think is ridiculous to suggest a player can get rattle by such a thing. Or maybe they are that fragile, who knows. I guess DeChambeau is too mentally fragile to handle it and needs Monahan to justify and Monday morning quarterback his behavior.
Excuse me PGA Tour, we have young men and women dying in Afghanistan, so forgive me if I can’t feel sorry for a professional golfer who can’t handle a little bit of heat.
On Tuesday’s press conference, before the Tour Championship, Monahan was even more ridiculous. He goes on to suggest that fans were acting that way because of Covid-19. He says fans are “frustrated” and have “brought extra and unwelcomed energy to tournaments”.
No way! Fans are acting the same way they did before Covid. The problem with Monahan is this time is affecting the PGA Tour’s bottom line, meaning revenues. DeChambeau is a star and when your star doesn’t want to talk to the press, well, it becomes a problem.
Heckling is part of the game, and it will be part of the game for years to come. Thankfully the PGA Tour has nothing to do with the Ryder Cup because the heckling is going to be loud and clear at Whistling Straits.
I agree, fans who are disrespectful need to be dealt with immediately. That type of behavior should not be tolerated at any level, but who determines that is another thing.
Finally, I do have several questions for the Commissioner. Who’s going to enforce this policy? The eighty-year-old volunteer? Are they willing to kick out every fan who says something stupid? Good luck with that.
As long as they keep selling alcohol at these events, and not some suggested Covid induced rage, they will always have alcohol induced behavior, is inevitable.
I don’t dislike DeChambeau, but it appears he needs to book a couple of sessions with Dr. Rotella.