Morikawa denies blame for fan behavior at the Ryder Cup

Collin Morikawa addressed the behavior of American fans at the Ryder Cup, acknowledging that they went too far in their behavior, although he denied being responsible for fueling the atmosphere. Two days before the start of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, New York, the two-time major winner had expressed his wish for the first day to be “absolute chaos”. During the three days of competition, the European players were subjected to insults and hostile comments from the public, including booing while they were preparing to execute their shots and even the throwing of beer in the direction of Erica, Rory McIlroy’s wife. This behavior was widely criticized, and the CEO of the PGA of America, Derek Sprague, apologized to McIlroy and the European team.

I think we took my words a little out of context. I think Ryder Cups are meant 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 don’t think I should take credit for people being rude. I think what I meant was that I wanted energy, right?

Collin Morikawa

Morikawa, speaking on Wednesday, stated that the fans went too far, but rejected any responsibility for it. The PGA of America reinforced security during the matches due to the increased tension during the three days of the Ryder Cup, which the European team ultimately won after withstanding the final onslaught of the Americans in the singles matches. Morikawa made these statements before the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic, a tournament he won in 2023, in Yokohama, Japan. The golfer noted that he didn’t think he had the power to incite American fans simply by “saying a word”. “I think fans can sometimes do and say whatever they want,” he added. “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 access to be so close to us. I think you have to learn to find that division between what’s appropriate and what’s not.”