A golf legend criticized American golf fans at the US Open for chanting against Rory McIlroy on the final hole of Pinehurst No. 2 last weekend.
After McIlroy missed a short putt on the final hole, ultimately ruining his chance at a major title, the crowd started chanting “USA” as he stood for his next shot.
That provoked negative reactions on the other side of the pond, including from three-time US Open winner Colin Montgomerie.
The Scot told it TalkSport: ‘The American fans who attend a golf tournament are generally not golfers. You have The Open, or a Scottish or Irish event, and it’s usually golfers who attend those events. They appreciate and understand the etiquette of the game.
‘That is not the case in America. There are a lot of baseball fans and football fans who have been drinking all day and love to shout the word “USA.”
Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie criticized American golf fans for their US Open chants
After Rory McIlroy missed his par putt on the 18th hole, fans started chanting ‘USA’ at Pinehurst
‘It’s not really golf. It’s not the etiquette of the game. It’s very anti-rest of the world. America feels like they are the best and the loudest. They’re definitely the loudest.’
That volume even extended to the final group — where eventual winner Bryson DeChambeau told the crowd to be quiet as playing partner Matthieu Pavon marked his ball.
In his playing days, Montgomerie gained a reputation for his efforts to pacify troublemakers – especially in the US, an environment he once called “hellish.”
That’s unlikely to stop until 2025, when the Ryder Cup returns to Bethpage Black in New York.
Montogomerie added: ‘I’ve experienced that my entire career. If you become a threat like me, and Rory is, and [Sir Nick] Faldo can testify to this: he never won the US Open and there was probably a crowd element to that.
‘It’s very difficult to play a course of that difficulty, you get an unfortunate break every now and then and the word ‘USA’ is sung in your ear for five hours, it’s hard work.
‘I always felt that that made winning in America more difficult than anywhere else.
‘Leave it to the Ryder Cup and let’s congratulate and celebrate good golf, rather than what happens behind the scenes.
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‘I think it bothered Ludvig Aberg on Saturday when he played with Bryson, he had never had that feeling before.
“And I’m sure Pavon had that problem. Bryson, of course, shouted out the crowd, because that’s how he was going to win, with the crowd’s support behind him.
‘But we don’t have that in Great Britain. We celebrate good golf, whoever it is.”