Morikawa Criticizes Fan Behavior at the Ryder Cup
Golfer Collin Morikawa has expressed his opinion on the behavior of American fans during the recent Ryder Cup, calling some actions “excessive.” Two days before the start of the tournament at Bethpage Black, Morikawa had stated that he expected an atmosphere of “absolute chaos” on the first day.During the three days of competition, the European players suffered insults and derogatory comments from spectators, including interruptions while they were preparing to hit the ball and, in one incident, the throwing of beer near Erica, Rory McIlroy’s wife. Morikawa, when questioned, stated that the fans exceeded the limits, but denied any responsibility for having contributed to the situation. The PGA of America implemented additional security measures as tensions rose during the Ryder Cup, which was ultimately won by the European team after withstanding the final push from the Americans in the singles matches. Morikawa made these statements in the preview of the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic, a tournament he won in 2023, in Yokohama, Japan. The golfer added that he doesn’t believe he has the power to influence American fans with “a single word”. “I think fans can do and say what they want sometimes. A line was probably crossed there, so I’d say there’s a line that needs to be drawn. But what’s so different and unique about golf is that we hear almost everything people say because they have the possibility of being so close to us. I think you have to learn to find that division between what’s appropriate and what’s not,” he concluded.I think Ryder Cups are made to have a lot of energy, right? And I think by saying the word ‘chaos’, I didn’t mean they were rude, right? So that’s not up to me, I think, to be attributed to the fact that people are rude. I think what I meant was that I wanted energy, right?
Collin Morikawa
