Team USA had a role in how the Bethpage Black crowd got out of hand during the Ryder Cup.
The atmosphere at Bethpage Black wasn’t a surprise to anyone heading into the tournament. Luke Donald had spent months getting his team ready for it, knowing it was a big reason why the Americans were tipped to win.
In the run-up to the event, Keegan Bradley and his team went all in on building up the energy. He ran down the fairway waving an American flag and picked Bryson DeChambeau to tee off first on Friday just to get everyone going.
Collin Morikawa even said before play began that he wanted ‘absolute chaos’ from fans at Bethpage Black. He got his wish, as State Troopers had to step in when abuse was directed towards Rory McIlroy and others.
Morikawa later distanced himself from responsibility for how things unfolded, saying his comments were taken out of context.
Collin Morikawa: Ryder Cup crowd reaction not my responsibility
During the week before the Ryder Cup, Morikawa said, “I’ll be honest, I think it’s kind of tame so far, Tuesday and Wednesday… I hope Friday is just absolute chaos. I’m all for it.”
Speaking to reporters before the Baycurrent Classic, Morikawa was asked if he regretted those comments. He explained why he didn’t.
He said, “I think we’ve taken what I said a little out of context. I think Ryder Cups are meant to have a lot of energy, right? And me saying the word ‘chaos,’ I didn’t mean for them to be rude.”
“So that’s not on me, I believe, for me to take credit for people being rude. What I meant was like I wanted energy. You wanted people to be proud of the country they’re rooting for.
“So I don’t think me saying one word made everyone listen and –– I don’t have that kind of power over people. Fans can do and say what they want sometimes.
The worst behaviour from fans wasn’t seen in Morikawa’s matches with McIlroy but this is where things began to turn against the Northern Irishman.
Ahead of their Saturday match, McIlroy put his hands over his ears while standing on the first tee as a sign of how loud things had already become even before play started.
Morikawa shifts focus after Ryder Cup struggles
Two weeks on from the Ryder Cup and Collin Morikawa is back on the course. He left Bethpage Black without a win, extending a rough run of form that’s followed him through much of 2025. With 2026 coming up fast, he needs to find some momentum.
Morikawa said that he will do some introspection after the tournament in the hopes of returning to his major-winning form.
The way Keegan Bradley set up Bethpage Black exposed some weaknesses in Morikawa’s game. Despite being one of the most accurate players on Tour, his lack of distance off the tee was a clear disadvantage.
The event also turned into a putting contest, an area where Morikawa has struggled lately. He’s lost strokes on the greens in nine of his last ten starts.
READ MORE: Jon Rahm describes what has felt ‘very weird’ since Europe’s Ryder Cup win in the US
Speaking about his recent play, Morikawa said: “After this week I’ll have a little bit of time off to really reflect and look back at the season and see what I need to keep doing well and keep needing to do better.”
If he’s going to compete with today’s power hitters, getting his putter sorted has to be top of the list heading into next year.
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