Paige Spiranac has reacted to the controversial fan behavior that overshadowed the actual golf played during the recent Ryder Cup tournament, which took place between the 26th and 28th of September, at the notoriously-challenging Bethpage Black course in New York.
The Ryder Cup is contested between two teams — the U.S., and Europe — and alternates every two years between the two territories. Europe, defending champions, were always going to be in for a fierce atmosphere on away soil, and particularly in New York. Yet the scenes that unfolded, particularly on days one and two, seemingly went beyond what is expected at golf competitions.
It started with fans booing Europe’s marquee players like Rory McIlroy, even when they were addressing the ball and about to hit their shot. The crowd brought the game into disrepute when it threw a drink at McIlroy’s wife, and, as GIVE ME SPORT previously reported, shouted offensive things at her, too.
Europe won the tournament Sunday with a score of 15-13, but the issue of fan behavior has not gone away. And Spiranac has now had her say.
Paige Spiranac Reacts to Ryder Cup Fan Controversy
“I’m sadly not shocked by the fan behavior at the Ryder Cup because it’s become the norm at most sporting events and in my opinion it needs to change across all sports,” Spiranac said on X.
“I was at a football game recently and this man in front of me was disgustingly drunk, yelling the most vile s*** to players and opposing fans in the stands, spilling his drink everywhere, wanting to fight people, and it completely ruined the experience for me and everyone around him.”
She continued: “What was interesting was that his young (maybe 7 years old) nephew was right next to him listening to everything. At one point the kid started copying him and was yelling the same things and the family was laughing.”
“This behavior is taught. I’m not saying you have to sit quietly. You can have passion, chirp, have fun banter, enjoy yourself at the event or game but there’s a line and it’s crossed so many times now.”
In a separate post on X, Spiranac isolated five reasons for why this has become a problem throughout sports, and not just golf. She said “rowdy fan behavior” is not a new problem, but is exacerbated by “competition, alcohol, packed stadiums, and crowd mentality” which “all contribute to inappropriate behavior.”
She said that “over the top antics will lead to virality online,” adding: “The good news is that it’s usually only a handful of people who are belligerent. The bad news is that it ruins the experience for everyone else.”
“The security needs to crack down on that type of behavior quickly and start handing out harsh repercussions in my opinion. Golf has grown a lot since covid and with that growth comes new golfers who come from more of a traditional sports background and is not as familiar with golf etiquette. This applies to on the course and being a spectator.”