SOUTHPORT, England — Organizers of the oldest golf tournament in the world are taking steps this week to revive some of the original spirit of the game.
The Open Championship, run by the R&A, is implementing a new spectator conduct policy in the wake of recent incidents of poor behavior from golf spectators.When Round 1 of the Open tees off on Thursday, fans at Royal Birkdale Golf Club will be subject to a new fan code of conduct called “The Open Commitment.”
While the Open has traditionally been one of the tamer environments among golf’s biggest events, rowdy golf crowds have recently become a bigger storyline—and distraction—albeit, mostly in the U.S.
Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open last month in front of a hostile crowd at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, that was openly rooting against him. That situation came less than a year after American Ryder Cup fans at Bethpage Black (also on Long Island) turned ugly against the dominating European team.
With 300,000 fans expected throughout the week—including 40,000-plus on peak days—The Open’s new fan policy includes five principles:
