Fitzpatrick is a good sport with the hecklers in New York
PublishedSeptember 25, 2025 12:05 PM EDT•UpdatedSeptember 25, 2025 11:58 AM EDT
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A meaningful shot has yet to be hit at the 2025 Ryder Cup, but New York sports fans are living up to their expectations of being a rowdy bunch. Team Europe’s players aren’t even safe from heckling during their practice rounds at Bethpage Black.
Matt Fitzpatrick received a not-so-warm welcome from American supporters during his Wednesday practice session after hitting back-to-back poor chip shots.
In a video making the rounds on social media, some fans in the front row of a grandstand began chirping the England native after he hit one of his now-signature crosshanded chip shots. After leaving the first ball on the fringe, his second attempt was even worse as he left the ball in the rough.
The one shout from the fan saying “the green is that way, brother” was both strong and stereotypically New York.
Fitzpatrick was not only a great sport with the fans chirping him by giving them a smile after his two poor shots, but he expanded on the atmosphere and his mindset heading into the three-day event during his Thursday press conference.
“Yeah, I mean, it was good fun. I think for me, you know, you’ve got to buy into it. I was having a good laugh with those boys, and we were laughing about it. They were telling me, ‘Oh, you’re probably going to be here on Friday’ or whatever. I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re probably right, to be fair,'” Fitzpatrick said.
“So yeah, we had a good laugh there, and they actually followed us for a couple more holes. So I think, you know, like you say, you’ve got to take it on the chin, whatever it is. Again, like I keep saying, it’s what makes this event so fun, so special, is the fans. The fans are what make this event, and you know, it’s obviously a great opportunity for us to come and try and play our best golf in front of them.”
The New York fans are undoubtedly going to play some sort of factor in this weekend’s Ryder Cup. It’s just a matter of how big an impact they can make, as the Americans are looking to take back the bragging rights after being embarrassed by Team Europe in Italy in 2023.
