Should players have the power to have spectators removed from the course?

[AndersUK]

I can understand players reporting actual offensive behavior to officials and then officials using their discretion to determine if that behavior warrants expulsion, but it appears that course officials will typically remove anyone at the behest of any player?

 

It reminds me when Reed was asked to sign a shovel and he got the guy removed.  Should players have the power to have anyone removed from the course?  I am not so sure.

[sittingbull]

Nope... i think they need to toughen up a little. Reed should have told that guy with that shovel sure i will sign it after i shove it up your a@@ but thats just my 2c

[hunterdog]

Interesting.  One of the worst things I remember is after Justin Leonard made an incredible putt on the 17th hole at Brookline during the 1999 Ryder Cup. Wives, team members, caddies, stampeded onto the green like it was last few seconds of a college football game.  But it wasn’t. The hole wasn’t even over; Olazabal had yet to putt.  Should Olazabal have been entitled to have these “spectators” removed?  They had, en masse, run across the green and through his line.  Wasn’t that worse than a catcall?
 

on the other hand, Patrick Reed’s parents were escorted from the 2014 US Open at the request of Reed’s wife for simply being present.

 

Every year at Phoenix the Tour encourages the crowds to be be as loud, and as drunk, as possible.  Can it really expect to contain the behavior once it let’s it out of the bottle.

 

It seems that the Tour has decided to be selective on what is and isn’t appropriate behavior, mostly dependent on who the player is.

 

Since I rarely watch professional golf in person,  I enjoyed the lack of crowds and didn’t miss the “mashed potatoes”, “get in the hole”, shouts.

 

So, yes, if the player is a big enough name, that player, his wife, probably caddy, etc., get to decide what is or is not appropriate “fan” behavior.

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by hunterdog
Forgotten word

[wcbjr]

Players shouldn't have the ability.  The course should (read: does) have the ability, and they should use it.

 

Maybe it'll get to the point where no alcohol is served on the course just to see if it makes a difference.

[puttingmatt]

Purging the idiots from the grounds for disruptions is in the games interests.

Fair competition should prevail.

[NevinW]

Yes

[bscinstnct]

Absolutely.

 

Here is Phil having a guy booted for calling him Figjam 🤣

 

The players are busy trying to play golf. They are only going to boot guys who really heckle them are interfering with doing their job. All the fans want these idiots gone as well.

 

The course is going to crack down as well but a player should definitely be able to have anybody tossed. 
 

 

[Fairway14]

6 hours ago, AndersUK said:

Should players have the power to have anyone removed from the course?  

 

Yes.

[bscinstnct]

5 hours ago, sittingbull said:

Nope... i think they need to toughen up a little. Reed should have told that guy with that shovel sure i will sign it after i shove it up your a@@ but thats just my 2c

 

Great idea….

 

Reed says that. Guy steps up to him,

 

”yeah? Go ahead and try”

 

They end up rolling around on the green 🤣

 

 

BD told a guy who heckled him, “Get the f out”. Based on the reporting, he was ready to give the guy a beating. 
 

But is this ideally what you are looking for? There would be guys going to events just to fight with player! 

Edited September 1, 2021 by bscinstnct

[BlackDiamondPar5]

5 hours ago, sittingbull said:

Nope... i think they need to toughen up a little. Reed should have told that guy with that shovel sure i will sign it after i shove it up your a@@ but thats just my 2c

It will only eventually escalate to physical like has happened in the NBA. Would you like to see a day when fences set far back, not ropes close to the action become the norm?

[SlothofDespond]

Yes, any way that ends in booting the drunk meatheads. I miss the tournaments without fans.

[nitram]

If the Tour and sponsors were serious about stopping it, they could. But they're not and so it will continue... 

[golfandfishing]

5 hours ago, wcbjr said:

Players shouldn't have the ability.  The course should (read: does) have the ability, and they should use it.

 

Maybe it'll get to the point where no alcohol is served on the course just to see if it makes a difference.

The course isn’t removing anyone, the GM of the club isn’t sending out an assistant pro to take these people to the parking lot. 

[PJE]

No, tournament officials, including security details, should make this decision.  Players should report their concerns to tournament officials and let them handle it.  Players should not have carte blanche authority to have spectators removed. 

[Jack Pearsall]

Did Jack have guys removed for calling him Fatty in the early 60's?
Probably not, but times have changed. It seems, mostly men, think it is their right to be obnoxious and unruly and that is just okay because free speech is protected. There are people who seem to believe that there are no consequences for their behavior, their free speech comes with no repercussions and that is not the deal with free speech. So as a private event attended by the paying public, there is no issue with people being removed for their comments. You may say whatever you want but it isn't about free speech. There are consequences. If you stand outside of the event on public grounds, you may say pretty much whatever you want to Brooksie. 

 

They can solve this all by restricting liquor sales and permanently  banning these actors. Maybe they need a code of behavior for pro golfers, as all this did not just happen in a vacuum.

[parforme]

Drunk, loud, and boisterous fans need to be removed.  I have been to numerous PGA tournaments and have been amazed at fan behavior and the abuse the players seem to put up with.  I am not sure allowing the players to have the ultimate authority is the best solution but the time for the tour to buckle down on this is way overdue.

[Nosebuckle]

No. Players should not have the ability to summon security directly and have them them removed at their request. However, tournament venues should have sufficient staff on hand to hear complaints and monitor spectator behavior. While I'm quickly losing sympathy for Bryson, even he doesn't deserve to have to put up with harassment from galleries, as no player should. Every other major sport doesn't permit this, but the tour and venues need to step up their efforts. I think it's fine to have a few extra drinks have a good time, just keep the noise and obnoxiousness away from where the playing action is.

[m d g]

5 hours ago, hunterdog said:

Every year at Phoenix the Tour encourages the crowds to be be as loud, and as drunk, as possible.  Can it really expect to contain the behavior once it let’s it out of the bottle.

Which is why it's the stupidest event of the year. There isn't enough money in the world to get me to attend that bro-fest...

[bscinstnct]

6 minutes ago, PJE said:

No, tournament officials, including security details, should make this decision.  Players should report their concerns to tournament officials and let them handle it.  Players should not have carte blanche authority to have spectators removed. 

 

Thats what they do. They tell security, security knows the rules, if the dope ran afoul, he gets walked out. 
 

Security is not going to boot a guy if the player is like,

 

”I don’t like his shoes”

 

He’s gonna say,

 

”This guy has been harassing me fir 3 holes and just yelled “looks like you’ll be watching tv this weekend” ; ) 

[lefthack]

I would like to point out that no other sport does this. Drunk idiots are a part of sports, it's just how it is. At least there aren't any fist fights at events, yet...

[bscinstnct]

7 minutes ago, Nosebuckle said:

No. Players should not have the ability to summon security directly and have them them removed at their request. However, tournament venues should have sufficient staff on hand to hear complaints and monitor spectator behavior. While I'm quickly losing sympathy for Bryson, even he doesn't deserve to have to put up with harassment from galleries, as no player should. Every other major sport doesn't permit this, but the tour and venues need to step up their efforts. I think it's fine to have a few extra drinks have a good time, just keep the noise and obnoxiousness away from where the playing action is.

 

What do you mean?

 

A drunk fan yells, “you suck rory, go home and count your money”🤣

 

Rory doesn’t summon security?

 

How does it get reported?

Edited September 1, 2021 by bscinstnct

[Frankensteins Monster]

5 minutes ago, lefthack said:

I would like to point out that no other sport does this. Drunk idiots are a part of sports, it's just how it is. At least there aren't any fist fights at events, yet...

Fans get removed all the time from events all the time.

[Hawkeye77]

What other sports do or don’t do is largely irrelevant to the discussion. 

[lefthack]

Just now, Frankensteins Monster said:

Fans get removed all the time from events all the time.

 

I don't think anyone has ever been removed from a baseball game for taunting a player. That is literally part of the game.

[sittingbull]

21 minutes ago, BlackDiamondPar5 said:

It will only eventually escalate to physical like has happened in the NBA. Would you like to see a day when fences set far back, not ropes close to the action become the norm?

23 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

 

Great idea….

 

Reed says that. Guy steps up to him,

 

”yeah? Go ahead and try”

 

They end up rolling around on the green 🤣

 

 

BD told a guy who heckled him, “Get the f out”. Based on the reporting, he was ready to give the guy a beating. 
 

But is this ideally what you are looking for? There would be guys going to events just to fight with 

All im saying is if these "pro athletes" cant take some heckling from the fans they are in my view WEAK .. You think jordon/bird/magic did get verbally abused 

[bscinstnct]

16 minutes ago, sittingbull said:

All im saying is if these "pro athletes" cant take some heckling from the fans they are in my view WEAK .. You think jordon/bird/magic did get verbally abused 

 

The difference in mlb, nba, nfl, is there a is constant, very loud, level of noise. And then roars of deafening noice. You don’t have a drunk  following you around every step, 10 feet away, yelling at you while the rest of the fans are silent.

 

Context is everything here. 
 

Golf ain’t basketball. 
 

And I don’t know how you can call BD or any other pro who can step up in front of thousands of live fans, crowding around him, along with millions of people on TV, and pipe 360 yards drives down the fw and sink 20 foot putts with millions on the line… “WEAK”. 
 

Doesn’t make sense to me. 

 

Edited September 1, 2021 by bscinstnct

[sittingbull]

Are we talking about heckling while they swing/putt because i dont see it after there swing i do see it.. 

[caniac6]

23 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

What other sports do or don’t do is largely irrelevant to the discussion. 

Nobody with half a brain is going to stand 10 feet behind a guy with a hockey stick or bat, and insult or tease them. Nobody is going to stand behind a skinny rope and get in the face of a 290 lb defensive end. I have no clue why bone heads think it's ok to talk trash to Bryson just after he lost a playoff. I understand that he might not be the most likeable guy, but he should still be treated with respect.

[Frankensteins Monster]

8 minutes ago, sittingbull said:

Are we talking about heckling while they swing/putt because i dont see it after there swing i do see it.. 

It was happening all day, during their swings, Sunday to both Cantlay and Bryson, especially on the back nine.

Edited September 1, 2021 by Frankensteins Monster

[farmer]

13 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

 

The difference in mlb, nba, nfl, is there a is constant, very loud, level of noise. And then roars of deafening noice. You don’t have a drunk  following you around every step, 10 feet away, yelling at you while the rest of the fans are silent.

 

Context is everything here. 
 

Golf ain’t basketball. 
 

And I don’t know how you can call BD or any other pro who can step up in front of thousands of live fans, crowding around him, along with millions of people on TV, and pipe 360 yards drives down the fw and sink 20 foot putts with millions on the line… “WEAK”. 
 

Doesn’t make sense to me. 

 

In a crowd at an NFL/NBA game, one guy yelling "YOU SUCK" is not something players notice.  At a golf tournament, a guy 40 feet away yelling the same thing is very noticeable, and very different.