Rude Fans at PGA Tour Events

[colin007]

I think there's a line. Heckle the player, whatever, but don't say anything about the guy's wife/S.O./kids, that's crossing it.

[NEhomer]

I say nip it in the bud today. Paid Marshals at each hole. It should not be up to the players to police.

STFU or GTFO!

[Aaron from Baltimore]

19 minutes ago, Eric C said:

20 years ago I used to go to the Byron Nelson every year with some buddies.  We would hang out in the tents where there was live music, talk to hot chicks and get absolutely shit faced.  We were there for the party - we never even considered watching golf because out on the course you had to be relatively quiet and respectful. The way it should be, the way it was meant to be.

Sitting on the second hole with my wife yesterday at the Bay Hill, it was clear that we have strayed from that level of respect for both the game and the players. Sure, the purse is also about a million dollars more now than it was 20 years ago, but should that really make a difference? Of course it shouldn't, and it doesn't, but as @Aaron from Baltimore mentioned above the age of personal responsibility (and respect) has ended.

We're never going to limit alcohol, that's just a non-starter and really not worth the waste of time it takes to discuss it.  The only viable solution, IMO, is to publish a code of conduct attendees agree to, and then to enforce it. Some people will get butt hurt about it, but if we don't take the steps required to restore some decorum to the game now then it will never happen.

agree 100%

[mcanadiens]

Don't each tournament have certain leeway in what they tolerate and what they won't? The Masters, for instance, should probably be a much stricter event than say, the Waste Management event.

Generally, I'd prefer local rule here and I'd beef up the security before restricting alcohol sales.

[Aaron from Baltimore]

18 minutes ago, NEhomer said:

I say nip it in the bud today. Paid Marshals at each hole. It should not be up to the players to police.

STFU or GTFO!

well said

[dogburger]

3 hours ago, GrandStranded said:

I'm curious. Why do you feel it's okay for the Ryder Cup? That event along with the WMO, are the prime examples of events with poor fan behavior. It's sad how the Cup has evolved so far from the "spirit of competition " originally intended

Your lot started it at Brookline in 1999. The Ryder cup that saw the arrival of the golfing  hooligan . From that date the competition has been played in a hostile atmosphere and to be fair I quite enjoy it. The players seem to thrive on the atmosphere as well because its a team event and they feed off it .  The problem is some fans at other comps think Ryder cup players are fair game anywhere . 

[GrandStranded]

15 minutes ago, dogburger said:

Your lot started it at Brookline in 1999. The Ryder cup that saw the arrival of the golfing  hooligan . From that date the competition has been played in a hostile atmosphere and to be fair I quite enjoy it. The players seem to thrive on the atmosphere as well because its a team event and they feed off it .  The problem is some fans at other comps think Ryder cup players are fair game anywhere . 

All good points, and I agree the U.S. was to blame for it starting. It turned me off to the point where I root for Europe to this day. I think a lot of the "hostility" is forced, and very close to over the top now. It runs the risk of turning off many who watch. I also agree the players seem to feed off it, which makes it curious to see them so bothered by it in regular tournaments. Does putting on a teams colors affect their "rabbit ears?"

[Aaron from Baltimore]

54 minutes ago, Aaron from Baltimore said:

I think you just defined it. "I can't define pornography but I know it when I see it" 

US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart......

But you convinced me, don't hold people accountable for their actions let's try and help them not be idiots. 

 

5 hours ago, krupa said:

I think this discussion isn't just about the players.  Drunk idiots degrade the experience for others around them as well. 

Some* baseball stadiums have a phone number that you can send texts to when unruly/excessively drunk people are in the stands.  The PGA Tour can set up something like that.  If there's a drunken idiot following player X around shouting things that you don't want your kid to hear, text the number.  A plain clothes official comes around and tries to find the guy and if he's being too abusive/unruly/rude, he's gone.

This isn't a perfect system, the drunk could wander off to bother a different player or just quiet down of his own accord.  However, you don't have to limit alcohol sales, you don't have to rely on players "outing" fans, and you, the fan, don't have to confront the drunk yourself.

 

* I'd say all stadiums do this but I'm only willing to speak about the stadiums I've been to.

I agree. 

[3jacker]

Golf used to be classy.  Snooty, yes. And purses were smaller.

Now not so much.  I wish it could be as successful monetarily as currently is, but with the classier standards of the old days.

Ones views on the matter reflect a lot about what kind of fan they are, when they entered the game, etc.

[colin007]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/mar/22/gin-juice-and-jingoism-are-us-golf-fans-the-worst-in-sport

[Aaron from Baltimore]

Wait till the Ryder Cup at Bethpage in 2024. That is going to be totally out of control if they don’t try and get out in front of this now. They better have cops on every hole. No alcohol limits can stop what is coming. I’m picturing that fireman idiot from the the Jets games screaming at players, that idiot from the US Open who was screaming at Sergio.... 

[Aaron from Baltimore]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/bud-light-dilly-dilly-phrase-banned-masters-report-article-1.3912673

 

See it's not that hard.....

 

[Zeph]

On 19.3.2018 at 4:11 PM, krupa said:

I think this discussion isn't just about the players.  Drunk idiots degrade the experience for others around them as well. 

Some* baseball stadiums have a phone number that you can send texts to when unruly/excessively drunk people are in the stands.  The PGA Tour can set up something like that.  If there's a drunken idiot following player X around shouting things that you don't want your kid to hear, text the number.  A plain clothes official comes around and tries to find the guy and if he's being too abusive/unruly/rude, he's gone.

This isn't a perfect system, the drunk could wander off to bother a different player or just quiet down of his own accord.  However, you don't have to limit alcohol sales, you don't have to rely on players "outing" fans, and you, the fan, don't have to confront the drunk yourself.

 

* I'd say all stadiums do this but I'm only willing to speak about the stadiums I've been to.

Yeah, it's not all about the players. If I followed a certain pro around a tournament and had to listen to some guy heckling him every hole, it would degrade my experience. I have no wish for golf events to become what events are in certain other sports. Tennis is another example of a sport where someone heckling from the stands would be unwelcome for almost everyone else present.

[Patch]

Anyone know what the statistical break down is between rude players vs rude fans?

I have been to a few PGA tournaments in my time, and I have seen the rudeness go both ways. On

[Valleygolfer]

6 hours ago, Aaron from Baltimore said:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/bud-light-dilly-dilly-phrase-banned-masters-report-article-1.3912673

 

See it's not that hard.....

 

Dilly dilly 

[Shorty]

8 minutes ago, Patch said:

Anyone know what the statistical break down is between rude players vs rude fans?

I have been to a few PGA tournaments in my time, and I have seen the rudeness go both ways. On

For every rude player "event" there are 7435 (approx.) rude fan events. Players can be huffy and distant and can come across as very entitled, but there is a difference between someone who is being paid to be part of the action and some moron who copies another 500 morons yelling out "mashed potatoes" or whatever. These days, a lot of young people think that their hilarious and original comments are an important part of the proceedings. And if I was a player and a 23 year old said "Give me your ball" or "Glove, glove!" I'd probably appear rude to him if I ignored him.

[Shorty]

The problem is that nowadays some people ( a literally very vocal minority) take pride in the fact that they have offended someone in cases such as the Bud Light/Masters one. Classy move, BudLight, by mocking an organisation that wants to maximise the experience for players and viewers alike. Pathetic. Speaks volumes about a lot of its (over)consumers.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Shorty

[The Recreational Golfer]

How many milliseconds do you think a rude fan would last at the Masters?