US fans’ behaviour at Ryder Cup ‘not on me’: Collin Morikawa
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Tyrrell Hatton (left) of Team Europe and Collin Morikawa of Team United States clasping hands after their match during the Sunday singles matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup.
PHOTO: AFP
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YOKOHAMA – Collin Morikawa admits he was looking for some “chaos” from fans at the recent Ryder Cup. What the crowd delivered was something next level.
Asked if he takes any blame for the hostile attitude fans of the United States team had for players from Europe, the 28-year-old put some context to the matter on Oct 8 in advance of his appearance at this week’s Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama, Japan.
He sits tied-25th after an opening round even-par 71, four shots behind co-leaders Max Greyserman, Bud Cauley and Brian Campbell.
“I think we’ve taken what I said a little out of context,” Morikawa said, when asked if he felt any “responsibility” for fan behaviour in New York.
“I think Ryder Cups are meant to have a lot of energy, right? And I think me saying the word ‘chaos’, I didn’t mean for them to be rude, right? So, like, that’s not on me.”
The Americans got off to a slow start in their attempt to unseat Europe as Ryder Cup champions and were defeated despite making a stirring comeback during Sunday’s singles matches
While the play on the course was filled with classic Ryder Cup drama, much of what was discussed after the competition ended was the unruly fan behaviour towards some of Europe’s top players, especially Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.
“So I don’t think, you know, me saying one word, everyone listened and then (issues started),” Morikawa said. “I don’t think I have the power to do that among people.
“I think fans can do and say what they want sometimes. It probably crossed a line out there. It wasn’t in my groups but definitely what people were hearing.
“So I would say yeah, there’s a line that needs to be drawn, I believe.”
Morikawa’s US teammate Xander Schauffele is in Japan too, and while he did not ask for boisterous fan behaviour, he did accept some responsibility for not giving American fans what they came to see.
“Yeah, there were some unsavoury things said at certain times,” the 31-year-old, who like Morikawa has two Major titles, said. “You know, I really wish we could have played better to have them cheer for us a bit more. New York’s a tough place to play for anyone.
“I even got a few comments to play better. I’m not taking much personally when it comes to sort of what fans say.”
Schauffele is also joint-25th on even par.
The Ryder Cup will be played in Ireland in 2027, then return to the US in 2029 just outside of Minneapolis. Morikawa hopes there will be lessons learnt from the 2025 event moving forward.
“I think that’s what’s so different and unique about golf is that we hear nearly everything what people say because people have access to be so close to us,” he said. “You look at a lot of other sports, you don’t really hear much.
“Things are said, but golf has that different aspect to it. So I think you have to learn how to find that division of what’s appropriate and what’s not.” REUTERS
