Is it time to reel in the Ryder Cup? Mateo Villalba, Getty Images
A text arrived Tuesday morning from a friend with a simple message:
“Please make the Ryder Cup more about golf and less about spectacle.”
Amen, brother.
There is a reason the Ryder Cup occupies a rare place in the game and, as captivating as it became Sunday afternoon when the Americans tried to pull off the impossible, it feels like the whole thing is in danger of going too far, if it hasn’t already.
It’s about the golf and that was brilliant at Bethpage Black. What the Europeans did the first two days and what the Americans did on Sunday was magnificent.
Tommy Fleetwood finds a different realm in the Ryder Cup. Justin Rose is ageless. Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm are bravehearts.
The Americans lacked a superhero last week but their collective refusal to surrender was inspirational. It’s hard not to wonder what the outcome might have been had Russell Henley made his putt on the 18th hole against Shane Lowry, turning a half-point into a full point for the Americans in what had the feeling of a late-afternoon avalanche.
The last couple of hours of the Sunday matches brought the focus back to golf and away from the other stuff that has shouldered its way into the Ryder Cup experience. The difference between organic emotion and off-putting behavior was on full display.
The Ryder Cup shouldn’t feel like Bourbon Street on New Year’s Eve but in an attempt to accentuate how different the event is from every other week, it has reached an obnoxious tipping point. It’s time to tap the brakes.
It’s true that the majority of the spectators at Bethpage Black were respectful but there is a growing sense that anything goes when it comes to the Ryder Cup. The atmosphere was cultivated by organizers who pushed the idea of creating a commotion that would, at least theoretically, inspire the Americans and antagonize the Europeans.
Sadly, last week, the golf was often overshadowed by the train wreck outside the ropes.
As it turned out, it embarrassed the Americans and further galvanized the Europeans. So much for the notion that $750 daily tickets would take the edge off the New York crowd. And if you’ve paid that much for a ticket, another $15 per beer isn’t stopping anyone.
Much of the Ryder Cup’s appeal is built on emotion and exuberance. It’s fun to see how much it means to the players, many of whom don’t crack a smile after getting cheered for making birdies during regular events.
At the Ryder Cup, it’s chest bumps and bear hugs. It’s Bryson DeChambeau waving his arms and stomping around like John Cena. It’s cocking an ear to the crowd at just the right moment.
Sadly, last week, the golf was often overshadowed by the train wreck outside the ropes.
To hear what some fans were shouting at the Europeans, particularly McIlroy and Fleetwood, was disgusting. It’s hard to believe someone would say those things in private, much less scream them in front of thousands, but it speaks to the larger reailty of where we are as a society, enhancing the ugly American image.
Civility has lost out to coarseness. Belligerence is 4 up on benevolence.
Rory McIlroy indicated that Bethpage fan behavior was over the top. Mateo Villalba, Getty Images
Who throws a beer at Rory McIlroy’s wife?
“I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy said. “I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there [last] week. Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people.
“Sometimes [last] week we didn’t see that. So no, this should not be what is acceptable in the Ryder Cup.”
It may be applying a broad brush to a small group but Bethpage Black’s famed difficulty wasn’t the only thing that took a hit last week. It’s one thing to have low expectations. It’s something else to meet them, but it happened last week.
It’s hard enough to play in the Ryder Cup. Feeling the need to apologize to your opponents doesn’t help.
It doesn’t have to be this way and it’s a safe bet that European Ryder Cup officials will heighten their efforts to manage the boisterousness at Adare Manor in two years.
It can be done. It happens every April at the Masters. That should be the standard the Ryder Cup strives to reach.
“I think that anybody that was out there could pretty blatantly tell you that there was some things said … Cam [Young] and I said it to Shane [Lowry] and Rory [on Saturday] that we felt for them. It was unfortunate,” said Justin Thomas, who gestured to the Bethpage crowd to tone it down when the Europeans were playing.
It’s hard enough to play in the Ryder Cup. Feeling the need to apologize to your opponents doesn’t help.
Golf loves to talk about its values and its life lessons. The time has come to apply those to the Ryder Cup.
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