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Fansided

Pro Golf Stinks … Without Crowds

By West Valentine

JUNO BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 17: Rory McIlroy of the American Nurses Foundation team and Dustin Johnson of the American Nurses Foundation team react on the 17th tee after winning the closest to the pin playoff against Rickie Fowler of the CDC Foundation team and Matthew Wolff of the CDC Foundation team during the TaylorMade Driving Relief Supported By UnitedHealth Group on May 17, 2020 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
JUNO BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 17: Rory McIlroy of the American Nurses Foundation team and Dustin Johnson of the American Nurses Foundation team react on the 17th tee after winning the closest to the pin playoff against Rickie Fowler of the CDC Foundation team and Matthew Wolff of the CDC Foundation team during the TaylorMade Driving Relief Supported By UnitedHealth Group on May 17, 2020 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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We had a return to Professional golf over the weekend. Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Matthew Wolff, and Rickie Fowler teed it up at the Taylormade Driving Relief on Sunday.

The Taylormade Driving Relief event was a welcome first step to reviving sports in America. On paper, it looked perfect. Unfortunately, it showed how far we have to go.

I was excited. I really was. Golf fans haven’t seen a live event since the Bay Hill Invitational, played March 5-8. That’s about two and a half months of nothing. It’s been the longest interruption on the PGA Tour since World War 2.

So when the thought of watching four of the best players on the planet tee it up at Seminole – one of the best courses on the planet that many never get to see – there was good reason for excitement.

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But then it happened. And it was like watching someone else’s vacation videos. Interest turned to boredom pretty quickly.

It has nothing to do with the players, the course, the conditions, or the format. I’m fine with all of that. And Taylormade should be applauded for sponsoring and organizing the event.

But for the first time in our lives, we got to see what a marquee sporting event feels like without fans. I thought it would be a little weird but not impact the overall excitement of the larger event.

I was dead wrong.

What we all learned, and I hope and believe most athletes know this too, is that fans make the event. Period. Without fans, it’s just some dudes out playing a round of golf.

Consider that the event ended in a tie prompting a one-hole, closest-to-the-pin, shootout be worth more than a million dollars. One shot. One million dollars. That should be one of the most dramatic moments in sports this year.

It felt like an afterthought.

Matt Wolff showed he has some mettle, Rickie Fowler showed why he doesn’t have a Major, Dustin Johnson showed why he is the most frustrating talent on the planet, and Rory showed why he is #1 in the world.

The best news out of the whole thing is that millions of dollars were raised to help with COVID-19 relief. And they all deserve our thanks and appreciation for using their platforms and skills to help others. Bravo.

But until there are fans lining the fairways, it won’t really be interesting. Fans make the moment. Their cheers, murmurs, gasps – those reactions are what create drama.

It will be interesting to assess the vibe when a full PGA event is contested without fans. I imagine it will be more of the same. That’s not to say they shouldn’t play, they should. But I am predicting it will not be anywhere near as exciting as that first event when the fans come back.

Until we can all cheer, murmur, and gasp together, it’s not going to be the same. Folks who aren’t fans of golf always complain about how boring it is on TV. Until this last weekend, I didn’t know what they meant.

Now, having seen the sport through their eyes, I get it. It is boring. But it has nothing to do with the sport or the players.

It’s the fans that complete the ensemble of sports. Fans are the drumbeat. They set the rhythm. They are powerful. You feel their noise in your chest. They drive emotion. Without them, there are no crescendos.

dark. Next. Virtual PGA round 4: Hagen stands alone

Until they return, we really don’t have the sport we all know and love back from hiatus. We just have some guys whacking a golf ball around a manicured park.

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