Credit: Red Eye Photo Agency
An American fan was escorted off the side of the 18th green by police for appearing to deliberately cough loudly at the very moment Europe’s Viktor Hovland was taking his crucial putt for a birdie.
The Norwegian, playing in his first Ryder Cup, had a long putt opportunity to help salvage a critical point at the end of a disappointing first day for the reigning Ryder Cup champions as Team Europe were behind having only won one match.
Hovland proceeded to narrowly miss his putt which was then followed by another long-distance missed birdie putt from USA’s Justin Thomas to tie the four-ball match.
Several of the European team, who had gathered to watch the last of the day’s four-balls, looked across angrily towards the group of fans on the left side of the green where the cough had come from.
Soon after the match had finished, several police marshals approached the fan area and other fans pointed out the American fan who had interrupted the match.
The police advised him they would be escorting him off the course and the marshals took him directly to the south car park on the back of a golf buggy, which inadvertently seemed to be a reward rather than a punishment given the extensive long walks to the shuttle buses at the Whistling Straits Course in Wisconsin.
Credit: Red Eye Photo Agency
This wasn’t the only example of unsporting behaviour shown by the American fans as only moments earlier there was another inappropriate contribution when a supporter shouted loudly towards Jon Rahm to get his attention.
The Spanish player, who had just tied his four-ball match and had stayed to watch the last match with several other European players reacted warmly by turning towards the fan and waving back.
Team Europe have a momentous task now to retain the trophy they won in Paris in 2018 going into the second day’s play trailing by four points. It would always be an uphill struggle for either team to make such a comeback, especially when playing away from home.
All golf fans will however remember the remarkable comeback at the “Miracle of Medinah” in 2012 when Europe overcame the same four-point deficit, albeit with only one day’s play remaining rather than two, away from home in Chicago.
However, the extent of the home advantage is even greater this year given that very few European fans have been able to travel across to the USA due to the ongoing 18-month long travel restrictions imposed on the vast majority of Europe.
One exception was remarkably given to the famous small group of European fans called the “Guardians of the Cup” who are from the UK, after they were given an 11th-hour waiver last Sunday to travel across this week to the States to provide the usual colour, humour, songs and contribute to what should be a fun, competitive atmosphere for the top golfers in the world to play in.
It will be very interesting to see how the American fans will react over the final two days of the tournament if Europe somehow start to turn around this match.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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The event was due to be held at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin on the 25th-27th September.
The biennial event has now been rescheduled for 24th-26th September 2021.
PGA of America chief Seth Waugh said:
“The spectators make it a unique and compelling event and playing without them was not a realistic option.”
“It became clear that as of today, our medical experts and the public authorities in Wisconsin could not give us certainty that conducting an event responsibly with thousands of spectators in September would be possible.”
Although professional golf in the USA has resumed behind closed doors, a host of players have voiced their opinions, saying that the Ryder Cup should not go ahead.
The next Ryder Cup in Europe has now been pushed back a year, with Rome set to host the event in 2023.
European skipper Padraig Harrington feels rescheduling the tournament was the correct decision.
“When you think of the Ryder Cup you think of the distinctive atmosphere generated by the spectators.”
“If that cannot be reasonably recreated at Whistling Straits in September, then it is correct that we all wait until it can be.”
Two years ago, Europe regained the Ryder Cup with a 17 and a half to 10 and a half victory over the USA.
The PGA Tour in the USA has already held four events following the shutdown, despite a handful of positive tests.
Only three of the four annual majors are scheduled to go ahead in 2020, and all will be played in the USA.
The USPGA Championship is set to become the first major of the year. It will take place in San Francisco between the 6th-9th August.
The US Open will be played at Winged Foot New York from 17th-20th September, with the Masters happening on the 12th-15th November at Augusta.
It looks like the American PGA listened to the players opinions on playing, with the general belief amongst both American, British and European golfers that playing without crowds in such an esteemed event just would not work.
Overall, in my honest opinion, I feel this is the correct decision.
Lets leave it a year, and hopefully by 2021 we will all be in a safe position to see battle commence, with the fairways full of spectators watching a classic Ryder Cup encounter.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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I say “just outside Paris”, although for most fans it involved a good 1.5 hours commute each day from their hotels in the centre of Paris by metro, train and then shuttle bus. But despite this long commute, the fans were there in their hundreds at 530am each day waiting for the doors to open at 630am for the usual mad rush to get a spot on the Grandstand on the 1st tee! Even this year, with the significantly increased grandstand holding 6,500 fans (4 times the 1,600 capacity 2 years earlier in Hazeltine, Minnesota), it was full within minutes of the course opening each day!
The tournament opened with the usual grand opening ceremony, followed by a lively concert by English Indie Rock band, The Kaiser Chiefs. The security staff started looking a bit nervous when crowd surfing started up mid-way through the concert, something not normally associated with golf tournaments!
The American got off to a strong start on the 1st day of play, taking a 3-1 lead in the Friday morning fourballs, much to the delight of the colourful American Marshal fans. But after that it was all downhill for them with the European Team coming from behind to regain the Ryder Cup Trophy, winning it 17.5 v 10.5.
Photos by Mark Szczuka:
Photo by Mark Szczuka