That poor decision by Clark notwithstanding, fans cheering poor shots by a player are complete losers and should be policed by the more astute fans nearby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s just one example of fans openly rooting against Clark after he hit a bad shot: <\/p>\n
Wyndham doesn’t reach the green. <\/p>\n
Ball rolls back down the hill. pic.twitter.com\/rDW7Mwp3OJ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n When I attended the 2007 Masters as a patron, my first professional golf tournament (I didn\u2019t grow up playing or following the game), the first thing I did was read The Bobby Jones Spectator Guide<\/a>. The legendary golfer and Augusta National founder wrote it in 1949. His words stuck with me then, and they\u2019re still relevant today.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn golf, customs of etiquette and decorum are just as important as rules governing play. It is appropriate for spectators to applaud successful strokes in proportion to difficulty but excessive demonstrations by a player or his partisans are not proper because of the possible effect upon other competitors.<\/p>\n \u201cMost distressing to those who love the game of golf is the applauding or cheering of misplays or misfortunes of a player. Such occurrences have been rare at the Masters, but we must eliminate them entirely if our patrons are to continue to merit their reputation as the most knowledgeable and considerate in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Golf spectators are called patrons at the Masters, a more cordial designation than fan for a venue that demands decorum. In the last nine months, golf fans in Long Island have proven to be complete boars. Not all of them are Long Islanders or New Yorkers. But the civility displayed in this area for two of golf\u2019s biggest events is embarrassing.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, which is about 60 miles from Shinnecock Hills, the behavior of the barbarians who attend was so disgraceful, the PGA of America, which organizes the event, had to issue an apology.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Let me begin with what we must own. While the competition was spirited — especially with the U.S. team’s rally on Sunday afternoon — some fan behavior clearly crossed the line,” read a letter from PGA of America president Don Rea Jr. sent to PGA of America members. “It was disrespectful, inappropriate, and not representative of who we are as the PGA of America or as PGA of America golf professionals. We condemn that behavior unequivocally.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet here we are, less than a year later, on this same island, discussing the same thing. It\u2019s embarrassing. All golf fans need to hold themselves accountable.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Kevin Van Valkenburg<\/a> of The Fried Egg, fans were removed from the final round of the U.S. Open for yelling, \u201cDon\u2019t choke Wyndham,\u201d during his round. The photo KVV took showed a fratboy looking 20-something in khakis, a blue shirt and a backwards hat. I\u2019m sure some of his friends thought it was funny. That\u2019s the problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fans should hold each other accountable in these moments. See something, say something. That something should be, \u201cHey, stop being an a——.\u201d<\/p>\n You can root for whoever you want. You can vilify whoever you want. I wrote whyClark isn\u2019t the villain people make him out to be,<\/a> but it\u2019s up to you whether you want to support him or not.\u00a0<\/p>\n What we can\u2019t do is cheer for bad play. In an arena as intimate as golf, these torments have no place. Jones was right: we must eliminate them completely. Otherwise, we\u2019re just as complacent as the clown yelling. <\/p>\n More U.S. Open from Sports Illustrated![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
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