Fans at the Ryder Cup were hurling insults and even a drink in the direction of Team Europe star Rory McIlroy at Bethpage Black.
While many commenters called out of the crowd for their poor behaviour at the prestigious event over the weekend, Paige Spiranac said that she’s “not shocked” at what went down in New York.
The popular golf influencer even went a step further, writing that she feels “disgustingly drunk” spectators are ruining sports for other fans.
“I’m sadly not shocked by the fan behaviour at the Ryder Cup because it’s become the norm at most sporting events and in my opinion it needs to change across all sports,” Spiranac posted on X early Monday.
“I was at a football game recently and this man in front of me was disgustingly drunk, yelling the most vile s*** to players and opposing fans in the stands, spilling his drink everywhere, wanting to fight people, and it completely ruined the experience for me and everyone around him.
“What was interesting was that his young (maybe seven years old) nephew was right next to him listening to everything. At one point the kid started copying him and was yelling the same things and the family was laughing. This behaviour is taught.
“I’m not saying you have to sit quietly. You can have passion, chirp, have fun banter, enjoy yourself at the event or game, but there’s a line and it’s crossed so many times now.”
The blonde bombshell also called out the fan who threw a drink at Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, in an “unacceptable” incident.
“Throwing a drink is absolutely unacceptable,” Spiranac wrote on X while also sharing a clip of the drink toss. “Life ban.”
McIlroy and Stoll had been a huge target for belligerent fans, who hurled insults at the couple over their highly publicized separation last year.
While many of Spiranac’s followers who replied felt that the Ryder Cup fan behaviour was an American issue, the influencer clarified that she felt it wasn’t just calling out the fans in New York, but a disturbing trend in sports fans in general.
“I also don’t think this narrative is helpful to change,” she wrote in reply to a user who said there would be “proper golf fans” at the next Ryder Cup in Ireland. “I’m speaking about sports fans in general and I know that’s not isolated just to the U.S.”
She also stated that while she doesn’t believe that seeing “rowdy fans” is a new problem, she did share that golf’s growing status means that new fans may not appreciate old-school “golf etiquette” on the course or in the crowd.
“I don’t think rowdy fan behaviour is also a new problem. Competition, alcohol, packed stadiums, crowd mentality all contribute to inappropriate behaviour. Especially now that over the top antics will lead to virality online.
“The good news is that it’s usually only a handful of people who are belligerent. The bad news is that it ruins the experience for everyone else. The security needs to crack down on that type of behaviour quickly and start handing out harsh repercussions, in my opinion.
“Golf has grown a lot since COVID and with that growth comes new golfers who come from more of a traditional sports background and is not as familiar with golf etiquette. This applies to on the course and being a spectator.”
On the course, Team Europe was able to hold off a late charge by the American team to retain the Ryder Cup by a score of 15-13.