Collin Morikawa admitted the behavior of American fans at the Ryder Cup “crossed the line” but does not believe he was partly to blame for inflaming the atmosphere.
Two days before the Ryder Cup started at Bethpage Black in New York, the two-time major winner said he hoped the opening day would be “absolute chaos.”
Over the course of three days, European players were subjected to frequent abuse from the galleries. The behavior was widely criticized, with PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague apologizing to Rory McIlroy and the rest of the European team.
Speaking last Wednesday ahead of the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic in Japan, Morikawa said that the fans went too far but denied any responsibility for contributing.
“I think we’ve taken what I said a little out of context,” Morikawa said. “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, I believe, for me to take credit for people being rude. I think what I meant was like I wanted energy, right?” READ MORE
Vaughn Ridley, Sportsfile via Getty Images
For all the drama and disappointment that have shrouded the Americans’ Ryder Cup fortunes over the past three decades (11 losses in the last 15 matches), the Presidents Cup has been so one-sided in the Americans’ favor that its relevance has been questioned.
That leads into the question: Will the Americans build on their 13-1-1 all-time record next fall at redesigned Medinah Country Club outside Chicago or will 2026 be the year when the Internationals finally change the narrative?
With the sting of another Ryder Cup loss still fresh, it falls to American captain Brandt Snedeker (a vice captain for Keegan Bradley at Bethpage) to extend the U.S. dominance with a team that will likely be similar to the group at Bethpage against an International squad captained by Australian Geoff Ogilvy.
“Being around those guys for a week is super important. I learned how hard these guys compete, how much they care about each other as the one overarching thing I took out of Bethpage,” Snedeker said. READ MORE
TGL released the schedule for its second season last Monday. The indoor league is slated to make its debut on a broadcast network with its opening match on Sunday, Dec. 28, airing on ABC at 3 p.m. ET.
TGL will compete on the same day as the PGA Tour for the first time on Sunday, March 1, when Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links GC faces Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf at 9 p.m. ET, the same day the tour’s Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches concludes.
The season will end with the playoffs on March 17, 23 and 24. READ MORE
The Skins Game will return for the first time since 2008, with Prime Video set to broadcast the event on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood, two-time major winners Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele, and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley will compete in the relaunched event at the new Panther National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Coverage will begin at 9 a.m. ET on Nov. 28. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
Nelly Korda has withdrawn from the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown because of an injury, the LPGA noted in its latest field update. She will be replaced in the team competition by Yealimi Noh. No specifics were announced related to the injury. READ MORE
Scottie Scheffler will return to the Bahamas in December to defend his Hero World Challenge title, highlighting a field that includes six of the top-10 players in the world. Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley will also be part of the 20-player field at Albany Golf Club on Dec. 4-7. READ MORE
The PGA Tour Champions Q-School has been discontinued, while the circuit’s player pension has been reduced by 20 percent, from $10 million last year to $8 million, Golfweek reported. READ MORE
Fan voting for the inaugural Dow Impact Award began last Thursday. The award recognizes an LPGA player who makes extraordinary contributions to their community. READ MORE
Kooyonga Golf Club has been selected to host the LIV Golf Adelaide event in Australia in 2027. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity