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New York, New York
As the eventual Champion teetered on the cusp of one of the greatest collapses in Major history, one poignant sound reverberated around Bethpage State Park: “DJ! DJ! DJ!”. Dustin Johnson was stalking his gym buddy-turned-prey (how often do you get to use that phrase?) down the stretch, and the New York fans loved it. Was it a personal vendetta against Brooks Koepka? Maybe. Did they just want to see competitive golf for the first time in a week? Certainly.
After a nerve-racking display of escapology, he avoided the unthinkable collapse and, in his post-round interview, claimed that the fans’ chanting had spurred him on (ever the pantomime villain, eh?). But there was no bitterness there. This wasn’t a middle-finger-type message as in previous years. No, because according to Koepka, this felt like “A real sporting event”. And he loved it.
Ryder Cup Ramifications
2024 may still feel like somewhere Busted visited in 2002 (that’s the Year 3000, for those without my sophisticated musical palate) but, in actuality, it’s just five years from now. That can be a long time in golf, but in the city that never sleeps five years goes by in the blink of an eye. The Black Course at Bethpage may or may not change before the Ryder Cup, but the New Yorks fans absolutely will not.
Paul Casey, who almost certainly won’t be playing in ’24, expressed his concerns, whilst Rory McIlroy’s “No comment” was every bit as transparent. Supposedly the players are fearful of speaking out against the crowds for fear of future ridicule, but there appears a clear divide between Americans and Europeans on the subject.
There is no doubting that it will gift America a serious upper-hand. Some will argue that’s what makes the Ryder Cup what it is, but others will say that it’s not in the spirit of golf.
The Questions
Is this advantage for America unfair or is that the whole point of rotating hosting duties? Should rules be put in place to control fans or should they be given free reign? Are these types of fans a sign of golf moving forwards, or is it a step in the wrong direction?
Do you want to see New York-style fans at a Ryder Cup or not?
Written by Joe Carabini
