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Ryder Cup: A Ryder Cup without Fans isn’t a Real Ryder Cup

By Christopher O'Day

PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 29:Rory McIlroy of Europe and Sergio Garcia of Europe during the morning fourball matches of the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on September 29, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 29:Rory McIlroy of Europe and Sergio Garcia of Europe during the morning fourball matches of the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on September 29, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The Ryder Cup is set to be held in September this year. With all the concerns going on, they are thinking of holding it without fans. If they did, it wouldn’t be a real Ryder Cup.

Think about the Ryder Cup for a minute. Even though it is still five months away, it’s worth having a conversation about it. It’s one of the best events in golf, pitting the European Team against the U.S. Team, rotating on each team’s home soil. Not only that, but it forgoes the regular attitude of golf, eschewing the quiet, stoic, overly-respectful nature of the fans.

When it comes to the Ryder Cup, the fans are rowdy, and so are the players.

They feed off of each other, showing emotion often and proudly. The fans get into it, shouting, cheering, and jeering as well. It’s part of what makes it such an exciting event.

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With all the COVID-19 concerns, there has been talk of holding the Ryder Cup without any fans. For any other event in golf, I would be all for it. Let the players get out there and play the regularly scheduled events, and even the majors, without any fans. We can still watch on TV, and nearly everyone can get the same experience whether or not there are any fans there.

The Ryder Cup is an entirely different story though. We need fans. We need noise. We need the drama, excitement, and needling that happens during a Ryder Cup to make it what it is. If not, it turns into an exhibition.

Even Rory McIlroy feels that way. During a talk with Taylormade, Rory had the following to say about it.

"“I get the financial implications for everyone involved… There’s a lot that goes into putting on the Ryder Cup that people don’t appreciate, but having a Ryder Cup without fans is not a Ryder Cup…It wouldn’t be a great spectacle. There’d be no atmosphere. So if it came to whether they had to choose between not playing the event or playing it without fans, I would say just delay it a year and play it in 2021."

They should push it back a year. If the Match: Champions for Charity goes well, then they could look to that for an idea of what to insert to replace the Ryder Cup in 2020. Imagine seeing some mix of skins, gambling, WGC-Match Play, and team play as well. Take 16 golfers, a mix of nations, some who like to gamble, maybe some of the streakier gamblers, and bring them all together for an end of summer event.

You wouldn’t need any fans for it. You could make it interactive, letting people join in from home to decide on a weird shot or two, or the format for a specific hole.

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Regardless of what they decide to do during that time, one thing is certain. If they want to play the Ryder Cup, make sure that it is done with fans, or it just isn’t worth doing.

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