We all saw what happened to Hideki Matsuyama on the 18th hole of the last round of the WM Phoenix Open, right?
Or, rather, we all heard it.
Just as he was pulling back the putter for what would have inevitably been the tournament-winning putt, a rowdy fan yelled something incoherent, causing Matsuyama to stop dead in his tracks.
Matsuyama ultimately missed and ended up losing in a playoff to Chris Gotterup
And that doesn’t even take into account the alleged “chair drop” during his backswing on the first and only playoff hole.
He was clearly rattled and one can only speculate as to the impact that the ill-timed noises (both intentional and seemingly unintentional) had on his psyche.
To me, the heckling that Matsuyama endured, specifically on the 18th green, should signal the end of the WM Phoenix Open as we know it.
The simple fact is that you can’t have a tournament that is known to elicit rowdy fan behavior and then expect said fans to be quiet during the most important moments of the tournament.
Because you can’t change the reputation of the WM Phoenix Open. You can’t put the toothpaste back into the tube.
For years, the “People’s Open” has gotten away with things that it shouldn’t have. And this is the result.
Douche bag streamers are paying people to curse at players. Fans are committing the cardinal sin of golf etiquette on the 72nd hole of a tournament with millions of dollars and ranking points on the line.
What was once deemed the “fun” stop on the PGA Tour has become one that continues to excuse awful fan behavior with no repercussions.
Look, I’m far from a purist. But it needs to change.
The WM Phoenix Open needs to be rethought. Reimagined. Perhaps even scrapped and restarted. Because, as it’s presently constituted, it does not lend itself well to golf fans nor the players who have so much at stake.
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