The Ryder Cup is all about team spirit… and loud (and sometimes rowdy) crowds. Keeping in mind the hype around this U.S. vs. Europe team event, it’s no shocker that several golfers face a rare but persistent issue in the gentlemen’s sport: heckling. It goes back to the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline, notorious for wild crowd behavior—spitting, and jeers aimed at the European team.

This time, the chaos peaked with premature celebrations on the 17th green. The backlash was fierce, prompting public apologies from the U.S. team and calls to rein in over-the-top nationalism. In fact, the crowds at the Ryder Cup can be so disruptive that Keegan Bradley issued a warning to Rory McIlroy & Co. in 2024: “Everybody who has played Bethpage in a tournament knows how wild and crazy it is then.” But as we near the 2025 Ryder Cup, Justin Thomas is pinning the blame on the European side.

And when Justin Thomas sat down for an interview on the Pardon My Take podcast, he had something similar to discuss. Thanks to his win at the RBC Heritage, Justin Thomas currently ranks 6th in points for Team USA for the Ryder Cup. Talking about the same, the American golfer shared the one thing that the “opposing crowd can do that makes life very difficult” during the Ryder Cup. At first, J.T. sighed and took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Man, it’s so bizarre. It’s just uncomfortable,” he said.

“The roars for them versus the roars for the US. Or, you know, the sh-t that’s maybe being said to you between shots. Or, you know, walking from greens to tees, whatever it is. I just think there’s just little things there that, if you aren’t ready for it mentally, or if you maybe aren’t sure how to cope with it, it can be really, really tough.” 

However, Justin Thomas’ feelings for rowdy Ryder Cup crowds aren’t unique. Although the American crowd is infamous for their behavior during the Ryder Cup, in 2023, Padraig Harrington drew similarities between both countries’ crowds. “I wish I could say it is one-way traffic, but it isn’t, and we should realize that and look at our own backyard as well.” Harrington’s worries extended to the fact that not just the golfers but their families get abused as well. However, despite his long relationship with the Ryder Cup, even Harrington couldn’t provide a perfect solution to this issue.

One of the popular solutions is a total alcohol ban or restricting alcohol service until a certain time to control behavior. Even Harrington felt that this could help, considering that fans can become patriotic during the games regardless.

Then, for instance, Keegan Bradley, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, is taking proactive steps to ensure a respectful atmosphere at the 2025 event at Bethpage Black in New York. Acknowledging the potential for rowdy crowds, he emphasized that officials will be positioned to monitor spectator conduct, with disruptive fans being ejected to maintain fairness and sportsmanship. He expressed confidence in the PGA of America’s measures to uphold a respectful environment for both teams.

Now, J.T., on his situation, has commented in the same interview, “It’s just the support for the home team versus the taunting for the away team.” However, passionate patriotism has proven to be a problem at another popular team event.

Scottie Scheffler faced a heckling incident at the 2024 Presidents Cup

For Scottie Scheffler, the 2024 Presidents Cup was a memorable event for more than one reason. Although the U.S. team secured a win on Canadian soil at Royal Montreal, it didn’t come without a negative experience. The situation began to attract attention when Gabby Herzig from The Athletic posted a short message on X, stating that a fan made a rude comment about Meredith Scheffler, Scottie Scheffler’s wife. Another source confirmed that Scott and the fan exchanged a lot of shouting, and Ted Scott was very upset. Herzig also shared a photo of Scottie standing with his father near the ropes.

Reports from that time indicated that Scottie Scheffler’s dad first heard the insult and went to talk to the fan, which led to Ted Scott getting involved. After the incident, Herzig confirmed that security personnel removed the fan. Neither Scottie Scheffler nor his parents made any comments after the incident; however, fellow Presidents Cup player Russell Henley stated that it was not distracting, and they quickly returned to playing. “No, not really,” Henley said. “Once it happened, we just kind of refocused and got back in it.” 

Although the game does not have specific precautions, fans and professionals wait, hoping that the lessons learned since 1999 will foster sportsmanship, camaraderie, and thrilling competition without the chaos. What do you think?