USA Ryder Cup star Collin Morikawa has confessed that spectator conduct “crossed the line” following vicious heckling aimed at Rory McIlroy. Team Europe secured the Ryder Cup in what proved a fractious contest in New York last month.
The Europeans ultimately triumphed with a 15-13 victory, though their achievement was overshadowed by the hostile atmosphere at Bethpage Black. Spectator conduct prompted enhanced security measures for the final day, while Rory McIlroy endured personal attacks from onlookers and was forced to retaliate on several occasions.
Morikawa has now delivered his assessment and agreed with Luke Donald’s claim that the conduct of fans in New York crossed a line.
Morikawa said: “I think fans can do and say what they want sometimes. It probably crossed a line out there. It wasn’t in my groups but definitely what people were hearing.
“Yeah, there’s a line that needs to be drawn, I believe. But I think that’s what’s so different and unique about golf is that we hear nearly everything what people say because people have access to be so close to us.
“You look at a lot of other sports, you don’t really hear much. Things are said, but golf has that different aspect to it. So I think you have to learn how to find that division of what’s appropriate and what’s not.”
Morikawa’s remarks follow his earlier call for supporters to bring ‘chaos’ to the Ryder Cup, though he insists it was never his aim for his opponents to face harassment.
He continued: “I think we’ve taken what I said a little out of context. I think Ryder Cups are meant to have a lot of energy, right, and I think me saying the word ‘chaos’, I didn’t mean for them to be rude, right? So like that’s not on me, I believe for me to take credit for people being rude. I think what I meant was like I wanted energy, right?
“You wanted people to be proud of the country, the countries they’re rooting for. So I don’t think me saying one word, everyone listened and then – I don’t think I have the power to do that amongst people.”
PGA of America President Don Rea Jr. initially brushed off grievances from European competitors and their relatives, comparing the hostility to what might be witnessed at a children’s football match.
Yet following criticism of his initial stance, he acknowledged that spectators had genuinely overstepped the mark. In correspondence to members, he stated: “Let me begin with what we must own. While the competition was spirited – especially with the US team’s rally on Sunday afternoon – some fan behaviour clearly crossed the line.
“It was disrespectful, inappropriate, and not representative of who we are as the PGA of America or as PGA of America golf professionals. We condemn that behaviour unequivocally.”