Gary Player Hits Out at Ryder Cup Crowd

 Just as the heat was dying down about the behaviour of the fans at the recent Ryder Cup in New York, the legend that is Gary Player, who let’s not forget is one of the greatest to ever play the game, has come out and lambasted the way the crowd responded to the European team at Bethpage Black. “I was disgusted, so to me, the Ryder Cup is a shambles” was one of many quotes attributed to the South African in an article that clearly displayed his anger at the turn the game of golf has taken in allowing the sort of behaviour we saw at the event take place. His lament struck a chord with me, particularly when he said “I look at it and I’m in a state of shock. I think to myself what would Ben Hogan have said? What would Arnold Palmer have said….if Arnold Palmer had seen that today……

Tom Watson, also one of the best to ever play and a man who conducted himself impeccably throughout his career, felt compelled to issue a statement recently congratulating the European team. And, in his own words “more importantly, I’d like to apologise for our American crowd at Bethpage. As a former player, captain and as an American, I am ashamed of what happened.

I felt much the same way  myself after watching as much as I could stand of the event through my fingers. I first started playing golf many years ago, when Jack Nicklaus, The aforementioned Gary Player, Lee Trevino and many other great players were at the top of the game and although you admired their great skill, as important as that was the way they conducted themselves, even under the greatest pressure.

Of course the kind of behaviour we witnessed at Bethpage is nothing new. When Jack Nicklaus first burst onto the scene in the early sixties fans of Arnold Palmer, nicknamed the king and the swashbuckling saviour of the modern game, stood behind bunkers as they played together and held up signs saying “right here Jack”, hoping to unsettle the great man. Since then, in every other tournament except the Ryder Cup, fans have certainly become more boisterous but in general they continue to respect the game and the players.

Before the competition at Bethpage it was quite clear that the crowds were going to be a problem. It was pointed out by many people beforehand that a hostile crowd was almost certain at the New York venue, and that’s what it got, in spades. I must say that players from both sides, especially over the last fifteen years, have not helped themselves by increasing the on-course antics every time a putt drops or an approach shot gets to within a few feet of the hole and unless they play the game in the spirit it was intended, the unfortunate scenes we witnessed in New York will continue. Grace under pressure was one of the defining attributes in a great player and of course the players that participated in the recent event carry themselves impeccably in all the individual events throughout the year, which makes the scenes at the Ryder Cup even more unpalatable. What is it about groups of men under a flag? Let’s hope that the New York event was a high (or low) watermark for the type of behaviour we saw and the next match, due to be played in Ireland in 2027, is supported in such a way that respects the players, the game and its history.