When Crowd Behaviour Goes Too Far

In a new View From The Fairway, Golfshake's Derek Clements shares his thoughts on the recent crowd scenes at the WM Phoenix Open.

HERE is the dictionary definition of the word “etiquette”: The customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or group. In the sport of golf, etiquette is everything. Doing things properly matters.

When, as a professional golfer, you hit a hole in one or drain a massive birdie putt, the last thing in the world that you expect to happen is to be pelted by a beer can. 

But that is precisely what happened to Sam Ryder and Carlos Ortiz after their aces at the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale and to Harry Higgs when he birdied the same hole. 

I know that the crowds who pour into the WM Phoenix Open are a very different sort of gallery but the PGA Tour need to sort this out before somebody gets seriously injured.

Dozens of volunteers had to be called in to clear up the mess after hundreds of beer cans rained down on and around the putting surface. Ortiz later said that he had been struck. Miraculously, he escaped injury. This may be golf, but not as we know it.

Can you imagine the outcry if the scenes we witnessed in Phoenix had occurred at a Premier League football match? Or at Wimbledon, Lord’s or Twickenham?

There would be arrests, perpetrators would appear in court - and quite rightly too. And yet there has been no condemnation by the PGA Tour or Waste Management, sponsors of the Phoenix Open. Bad crowd behaviour at this event is worn like a badge of honour.

Not a single fan was arrested or even removed from the course.

We condemn tour professionals for failing to shout “Fore”. We criticise them for swearing when they hit a poor shot. Justin Thomas was vilified last year for uttering a homop[hobic slur after missing a short putt. He lost one of his main sponsors. And yet there has been no public criticism of the behaviour we witnessed at TPC Scottsdale.

The scenes were disgraceful. The crowd were out of control. And by failing to criticise their behaviour, fans at other tournaments have effectively been given the green light to behave in the same way. 

American golf fans are a very different animal. For years, players have had to live with people yelling out: “Get in the hole” when they hit drives at 550-yard par fives. They are routinely informed “You da man” is mid-swing. And don’t get me started on “mashed potatoes”. 

Perhaps the most telling - and worrying - aspect of all of this is the response on social media, with thousands of TV viewers saying how much they enjoyed the crowd’s behaviour. 

I totally get that players who enter the WM Open know that they are going to be performing in front of rowdy crowds but when personal safety is put at risk that is an entirely different matter. 

There were restricted crowd numbers at the tournament 12 months ago but all restrictions were lifted this time and clearly the galleries felt that they wanted to make up for lost time. And they went too far.