American golf fans strike again, another classic case of give them an inch and they take a mile.
Most people out there came to watch golf and have a good time. But a small group keeps trying to turn the biggest moments into a personal stage, and players are the ones who pay for it.
This weekend gave us the clearest example. On the final hole of the final day at the WM Phoenix Open, Hideki Matsuyama stood over a putt to win, and somebody decided that was their moment to yell.
Hideki missed, went to a playoff, then had to back off again on the playoff tee shot because of another loud noise. At some point, this stops being rowdy and starts being interference.
What happened, and why it matters
Hideki had a 20 foot putt to win the tournament. As he went into his routine, a person yelled during his backswing. The crowd around him booed, which tells you most people still understand the basic standard. The part that sticks with me is the silence after. There was no clear message that the person was removed, and no visible consequence that matched the moment.
Then the playoff begins, and as Hideki starts his backswing on the tee shot, there is another loud noise that forces him to back off again. Reports framed that one as an accident involving event staff or security. Fine, intent matters, but the result still matters too. Two disruptions in two of the biggest swings of the day can swing an outcome, or at minimum, poison the finish.
Why yelling in a backswing crosses the line
If you have never played competitive golf, here is the simplest way to understand it. Golf has a rhythm, and elite players build a repeatable routine to control that rhythm under pressure. When someone shouts during a backswing, they are not cheering. They are trying to interrupt timing, focus, and execution.
There is a difference between noise that lives in the background and noise that targets a player at the worst possible second. The first is part of the environment. The second is an attempt to get inside the shot.
If you want the cleanest breakdown of where playful crowd energy ends and disrespect begins, you need to consider how to heckle in golf without crossing the line.
Anytime this happens, somebody always says the same thing. The players know what they signed up for at this event. That argument falls apart fast.
When a tournament sells itself as a party, that creates an obligation for the event to set boundaries and enforce them. Players should never feel like they have to speed up their routine because a group of drunk patrons cannot stand still for 20 seconds.
This remains golf. The players are competing for their livelihood and their legacy, and the fans are there as guests. The atmosphere can be electric without turning basic respect into a negotiable detail.
Consequences need to match the behavior
Here is my standard. If you intentionally yell in a player’s backswing, you should be removed immediately, identified, and banned from PGA Tour events for life. No warning. No second chance. You made the choice, now you own the cost.
Some people will call that harsh. I call it simple. The punishment has to be strong enough that nobody wants to be the example.
We have already seen how this spreads. Viral stunts, cash offers, people paying others to yell during a swing just to create a clip. If someone accepts the deal and does it, ban them too. If you are part of the stunt, you are part of the problem.
This is how you fix it without killing the fun
I actually like a rowdy event. I like energy. I like fans who care. I just want the energy aimed in the right direction and timed like grown adults.
Here are five changes that would improve the WM Phoenix Open immediately while keeping the atmosphere:
- Zero tolerance for backswing interference. One strike, you are gone.
- Real enforcement early. If the event waits until the crowd boils, the day turns into crowd control instead of golf.
- Clear fan code of conduct at entry. Put it on tickets, put it on signage, and repeat it on video boards.
- More trained security inside the hottest zones, not just around them. Volunteers matter, but the highest pressure areas need professionals.
- A fast reporting lane for spectators who want the event handled. Let fans help remove the bad actors quickly.
Golfspan has been tracking the crackdown talk around this event, and the key point is simple, enforcement only works when the cost feels real. If you want that context, read what the WM Open is claiming about tighter control this year and decide whether the event is serious or just protecting optics.
Most fans are fine, but the loud minority is getting bolder
I want to be fair here. Most people in that crowd knew exactly what was wrong. They booed the person who yelled. That matters. Golf still has plenty of good fans.
The issue is that the worst behavior keeps getting rewarded with attention, and attention is the fuel. If the event wants to keep the party brand, it has to cut off the attention loop by removing people fast and making the bans public enough that the message spreads.
How would you fix the WM Phoenix Open so everyone can still have fun while maintaining respect and order for the players and the game?
Because right now, the line keeps moving, and I do not think the sport benefits from pretending this is harmless.
Clint is PGA-certified and was a Head Teaching Professional at one of Toronto's busiest golf academies. He was also featured on Canada's National Golf TV program, "Score Golf Canada," twice. He graduated with a degree in Golf Management from the College of the Desert in California and studied under Callaway's co-founder, Tony Manzoni. He has a handicap index of 6.2 and spends the winters near Oaxaca, Mexico, where he plays twice a month at the Club de Golf Vista Hermosa. He's written over 100 articles at GolfSpan since 2021. You can connect with Clint at LinkedIn, FB, his website, or Clintcpga@gmail.com.
