Opinion & Analysis
Yabba Dabba please shut up
“Get in the hole!”
That’s how it started, innocently enough, and not in an obnoxious way.
If we peel back the evolution of post-shot yelling on the PGA Tour all the way to the beginning, the pre-cambrian era of yelling if you will, the early yellers were actually genuine supporters of their favorite golfers.
They were yelling “get in the hole” on chips and long putts — situations where an actual hole out was possible and/or likely. It was a simpler, more peaceful time on the PGA Tour, but it didn’t last.
Somewhere along the evolutionary chain, the DNA of golf yellers started to shift. Much like the first fish who climbed out of the water and started breathing oxygen, there was a yeller who thought it was funny to yell “get in the hole” off of the tee on a par 5.
Of course, there was no chance that the ball would actually go in the hole on that par 5. It was a joke, and a few laughs were had, no doubt. Maybe even a few pros found it funny. But no one would have laughed if golfers knew what one innocuous scream would spawn.
Back in the “get in the hole” days, it was easy for spectators to get some air time during a golf broadcast. The galleries were pretty quiet, with the exception of the golf yellers who made “get in the hole” their battle cry. These early yellers — think of them as the ancestors of modern golf yelling — would later go home and watch the golf telecast, pointing out to their friends that they were the person screaming every time Tiger hit a tee shot.
More civilized golf viewers tended to tolerate the behavior of the yellers — it wasn’t hurting anyone or too ridiculous. But then the yelling evolved, and “get in the hole” gave way to new phrases: mashed potatoes, baba booey, yabba dabba do and several others that I’d rather not mention for fear of adding more fuel to the fire.
Right now, golf finds itself at a breaking point. The yelling has spread.
Yelling has taken over golf fans like the zombie virus in “World War Z.” I’m picturing Tim Finchem in a bunker somewhere showing one of those graphics where it has the infection spreading over the U.S. over a determined timeline.
“And this is what it will look like in three months, and this is what it will look like in six months. And in two years, we’re looking at a total loss here.”
His advisors would appear horrified. You know how these things go.
The bottom line is that the Tour is reaching a breaking point. I watched a round recently where a fan followed a player around and yelled after every single shot. Drives, irons, chips, etc. Every. Single. Shot. And this wasn’t Tiger Woods, either — just a normal Tour player.
Simply put, it’s not funny.
If you were at a party and you told a joke to 20 people, and two of them laughed, 10 of them said nothing and eight seemed genuinely annoyed at you, would you tell this joke again? Probably not.
Yelling after a shot is one of the few ongoing jokes that seems to annoy the vast majority of people who hear it. For every chuckle, there are 10 people who want to punch the yeller in the face, including the players. These guys aren’t funny — they’re the guys on Facebook who you unfriend, or the guys on Twitter you don’t follow.
It makes the players look bad
OK, this one takes some explaining. Golfers have always faced the issue of being taken seriously as athletes, with a lot of the naysayers saying things like they are pampered, don’t need to be in good shape, don’t have to do much stuff that is actually physical and athletic, etc. Fine, throw your barbs at them.
But the one that bothers me is that every time a player complains about fans yelling or moving for any reason, it gets brought up that they are spoiled and can’t hit a ball if a pin drops within a square mile. It’s just not true.
Plenty of times tour pros hit perfect shots with a distraction (Jim Furyk did it late in his final round at the PGA Championship), but they only tend to complain after a poor one. This might be the fault of the players, but I wouldn’t say it’s fair.
The players hate the yelling because it’s dumb, not because it makes them worse. Could Adam Scott shoot 67 while fans were cheering and/or booing the full round? I think so, because like most top golfers he’s used to it. But they shouldn’t have to get used to it.
Imagine if someone followed you around your office yelling “mashed potatoes.” Would it really make you worse at your job? Maybe not. But would you want to punch him or her in the face on your bad days? Probably.
It is only going to get worse
“It’s safe to say we do have some concerns over where it’s going and what may happen.”
– Kerry Haigh, chief championships officer of the PGA of America
Newton’s Law says essentially that something will move until it meets an equal and opposite reaction. So far there has been none. Except this phenomena isn’t moving along a straight path, it’s snowballing down a hill and gaining momentum.
Yelling on Tour has gotten so bad that people compete to be heard first and will risk yelling in the players backswing if it means getting the jump on their yelling rivals. Watch a round — any time you see a player check his swing on the tee box, someone probably yelled.
Fans (or worse, players) may take this into their own hands
Someone is going to snap. Hopefully it won’t be a player (this means you, Ian Poulter). But already, whenever there is a checked swing, you promptly hear “mashed potatoes” followed by several murmurs of “shut up!” It’s only a matter of time before some fan just walks up to the guy and slugs him.
Ask the NBA how great it was for publicity when there was a brawl in the stands. The Tour will have to release a statement condemning the incident, while every outside agent congratulates the guy. Most rational people think yellers are dumb, so why not just nip this in the bud before things turn violent?
I don’t believe that the Tour is incapable of solving the problem. Golf is a sport that has rules determining the difference between a live snake on the course and a dead one. Golf can’t take action against embarrassing fan behavior? It can’t rule against a problem that 99 percent of fans want to see go away?
Why not tell fans that they’ll be ejected if they do anything within three seconds of a swing? Doesn’t “baba booey” lose some of its luster if the player is putting his club back in the bag when it’s yelled?
The marshalls already have signs that say “quiet please.” Tell fans if they say anything while that sign is up they are gone, and banned from the event for five years. They can’t do this? Ty Votaw, the Tour’s vice president of communications, has admitted that the Tour has considered the behavior, but that it is hesitant to act on anything not directly impacting play. But it is starting to impact play. And it won’t stop as the competition to be heard becomes more fierce.
Right now, the Tour thinks that it has no choice and but to leave yelling alone, but I think it has no choice but to ban it.
Please do something, Mr. Finchem. Save our sport from the yelling. I’ll even stop by your office and tell you “you’re the man” if you do.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 PGA Championship betting preview: Rising star ready to join the immortals at Valhalla
The second major of the 2024 season is upon us as the world’s best players will tee it up this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky to compete for the Wanamaker Trophy.
The last time we saw Valhalla host a major championship, Rory McIlroy fended off Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and the creeping darkness that was descending upon the golf course. The Northern Irishman had the golf world in the palm of his hand, joining only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as players who’d won four major championships by the time they were 25 years old.
Valhalla is named after the great hall described in Norse mythology where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The course is a Jack Nicklaus-design that has ranked among Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” for three decades.
Valhalla Golf Club is a par-71 measuring 7,542 yards with Zoysia fairways and Bentgrass greens. The course has rolling hills and dangerous streams scattered throughout and the signature 13th hole is picturesque with limestone and unique bunkering protecting the green. The 2024 PGA Championship will mark the fourth time Valhalla has hosted the event.
The field this week will consist of 156 players, including 16 PGA Champions and 33 Major Champions.
Past Winners of the PGA Championship
- 2023: Brooks Koepka (-9) Oak Hill
- 2022: Justin Thomas (-5) Southern Hills
- 2021: Phil Mickelson (-6) Kiawah Island
- 2020: Collin Morikawa (-13) TPC Harding Park
- 2019: Brooks Koepka (-8) Bethpage Black
- 2018: Brooks Koepka (-16) Bellerive
- 2017: Justin Thomas (-8) Quail Hollow
- 2016: Jimmy Walker (-14) Baltusrol
- 2015: Jason Day (-20) Whistling Straits
- 2014: Rory McIlroy (-16) Valhalla
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Valhalla
Let’s take a look at five key metrics for Oak Hill to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
1. Strokes Gained: Approach
Valhalla will play as a true all-around test of golf for the world’s best. Of course, it will take strong approach play to win a major championship.
Strokes Gained: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Shane Lowry (+1.25)
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.09)
- Jordan Smith (+1.05)
- Tom Hoge (+.96)
- Corey Conners (+.94)
2. Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Valhalla will play long and the rough will be penal. Players who are incredibly short off the tee and/or have a hard time hitting fairways will be all but eliminated from contention this week at the PGA Championship.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Bryson DeChambeau (+1.47)
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.11)
- Keith Mitchell (+.90)
- Alejandro Tosti (+.89)
- Ludvig Aberg (+.82)
Strokes Gained: Total on Nickalus Designs
Valhalla is a classic Nicklaus Design. Players who play well at Nicklaus designs should have an advantage coming into this major championship.
Strokes Gained: Total on Nicklaus Designs over past 36 rounds:
- Jon Rahm (+2.56)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.48)
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.35)
- Collin Morikawa (+1.79)
- Shane Lowry (+1.57)
Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on Very Long Courses
Valhalla is going to play extremely long this week. Players who have had success playing very long golf courses should be better equipped to handle the conditions of this major championship.
Strokes Gained: Total on Very Long Courses Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.44)
- Rory McIlroy (+2.24)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.78)
- Viktor Hovland (+1.69)
- Xander Schauffele (+1.60)
Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships
One factor that tends to play a large role in deciding major championships is which players have played well in previous majors leading up to the event.
Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships over past 20 rounds:
- Scottie Scheffler (+3.14)
- Will Zalatoris (+2.64)
- Rory McIlroy (+2.49)
- Xander Schauffele (+2.48)
- Tommy Fleetwood (2.09)
Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens
Valhalla features pure Bentgrass putting surfaces. Players who are comfortable putting on this surface will have an advantage on the greens.
Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens over Past 24 Rounds:
- Ludvig Aberg (+1.12)
- Denny McCarthy (+1.08)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (+0.99)
- Justin Rose (+0.93)
- J.T. Poston (0.87)
Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways
Valhalla features Zoysia fairways. Players who are comfortable playing on this surface will have an advantage on the field.
Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways over past 36 rounds:
- Justin Thomas (+1.53)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.47)
- Xander Schauffele (+1.40)
- Brooks Koepka (+1.35)
- Rory McIlroy (+1.23)
2024 PGA Championship Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), SG: Off the Tee (22%), SG: T2G on Very Long Courses (12%), SG: Putting on Bentgrass (+12%), SG: Total on Nicklaus Designs (12%). SG: Total on Zoysia Fairways (8%), and SG: Total in Major Championships (8%).
- Brooks Koepka
- Xander Schauffele
- Rory McIlroy
- Scottie Scheffler
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Shane Lowry
- Alex Noren
- Will Zalatoris
- Cameron Young
- Keith Mitchell
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Billy Horschel
- Patrick Cantlay
- Viktor Hovland
- Adam Schenk
- Chris Kirk
- Sahith Theegala
- Min Woo Lee
- Joaquin Niemann
- Justin Thomas
2024 PGA Championship Picks
Ludvig Aberg +1800 (BetMGM)
At The Masters, Ludvig Aberg announced to the golf world that he’s no longer an “up and coming” player. He’s one of the best players in the game of golf, regardless of experience.
Augusta National gave Aberg some necessary scar tissue and showed him what being in contention at a major championship felt like down the stretch. Unsurprisingly, he made a costly mistake, hitting it in the water left of the 11th hole, but showed his resilience by immediately bouncing back. He went on to birdie two of his next three holes and finished in solo second by three shots. With the type of demeanor that remains cool in pressure situations, I believe Ludvig has the right mental game to win a major at this point in his career.
Aberg has not finished outside of the top-25 in his past eight starts, which includes two runner-up finishes at both a “Signature Event” and a major championship. The 24-year-old is absolutely dominant with his driver, which will give him a major advantage this week. In the field he ranks, in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and has gained strokes in the category in each of his past ten starts. Aberg is already one of the best drivers of the golf ball on the planet.
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the great hall where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The Swedes, who are of Old Norse origin, were the last of the three Scandinavian Kingdoms to abandon the Old Norse Gods. A Swede played a major role in the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, and I believe another, Ludvig Aberg, will be the one to conquer Valhalla in 2024.
Bryson DeChambeau +2800 (BetMGM)
Bryson DeChambeau is one of the few players in the world that I believe has the game to go blow-for-blow with Scottie Scheffler. Although he isn’t as consistent as Scheffler, when he’s at his best, Bryson has the talent to beat him.
At The Masters, DeChambeau put forth a valiant effort at a golf course that simply does not suit his game. Valhalla, on the other hand, is a course that should be perfect for the 30-year-old. His ability to overpower a golf course with his driver will be a serious weapon this week.
Bryson has had some success at Jack Nicklaus designs throughout his career as he won the Memorial at Muirfield Village back in 2018. He’s also had incredible results on Bentgrass greens for the entirety of his professional career. Of his 10 wins, nine of them have come on Bentgrass greens, with the only exception being the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He also has second place finishes at Medinah and TPC Summerlin, which feature Bentgrass greens.
Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to argue that Bryson isn’t one of the most exciting and important players in the game of golf. He’s also one of the best players in the world. A second major is coming soon for DeChambeau, and I believe he should be amongst the favorites to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy this week.
Patrick Cantlay +4000 (FanDuel)
There’s no way of getting around it: Patrick Cantlay has been dissapointing in major championships throughout his professional career. He’s been one of the top players on Tour for a handful of years and has yet to truly contend at a major championship, with the arguable exception of the 2019 Masters.
Despite not winning majors, Cantlay has won some big events. The 32-year-old has won two BMW Championships, two Memorial Tournaments as well as a Tour Championship. His victories at Memorial indicate how much Cantlay loves Nicklaus designs, where he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total over his past 36 rounds behind only Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.
Cantlay also loves Bentgrass greens. Six of Cantlay’s seven individual wins on the PGA Tour have come on Bentgrass greens and he also was one of the best putters at the 2023 Ryder cup at Marco Simone (also Bentgrass). At Caves Valley (2021 BMW Championship), he gained over 12 strokes putting to outduel another Bentgrass specialist, Bryson DeChambeau.
Cantlay finished 22nd in The Masters, which was a solid result considering how many elite players struggled that week. He also has two top-ten finishes in his past five PGA Championships. He’s undeniably one of the best players in the field, therefore, it comes down to believing Cantlay has the mental fortitude to win a major, which I do.
Joaquin Niemann +4000 (BetMGM)
I believe Joaquin Niemann is one of the best players in the world. He has three worldwide wins since December and has continued to improve over the course of his impressive career thus far. Still only 25, the Chilean has all the tools to be a serious contender in major championships for years to come.
Niemann has been the best player on LIV this season. Plenty will argue with the format or source of the money on LIV, but no one can argue that beating players such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith is an unremarkable achievement. Niemann is an elite driver of the golf ball who hits it farther than just about anyone in the field not named Bryson DeChambeau or (arguably) Rory McIlroy.
Niemann is another player who has been fantastic throughout his career on Bentgrass greens. Prior to leaving the PGA Tour, Bentgrass was the only green surface in which Joaco was a positive putter. It’s clearly a surface that he is very comfortable putting on and should fare around and on the greens this week.
Niemann is a perfect fit for Valhalla. His low and penetrating ball flight will get him plenty of runout this week on the fairways and he should have shorter shots into the green complexes than his competitors. To this point in his career, the former top ranked amateur in the world (2018) has been underwhelming in major championships, but I don’t believe that will last much longer. Joaquin Niemann is a major championship caliber player and has a real chance to contend this week at Valhalla.
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In my last post, I explained the basic performance dynamics of “smash factor” and “gear effect” as they apply to your wedges and your wedge play success. If you missed that post, you can read it here.
At the end of that post, I promised “part 2” of this discussion of what makes a wedge work the way it does. So, let’s dive into the other two components of any wedge – the shaft and the grip.
It’s long been said that the shaft is “the engine of the golf club.” The shaft (and grip) are your only connection to all the technologies that are packed into the head of any golf club, whether it be a driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, wedge or even putter.
And you cannot ignore those two components of your wedges if your goal is optimizing your performance.
I’ve long been an advocate of what I call a “seamless transition” from your irons into your wedges, so that the feel and performance do not disconnect when you choose a gap wedge, for example, instead of your iron-set-matching “P-club.” In today’s golf equipment marketplace, more and more golfers are making the investment of time and money to experience an iron fitting, going through trial and error and launch monitor measuring to get just the right shaft in their irons.
But then so many of those same golfers just go into a store and choose wedges off the retail display, with no similar science involved at all. And that’s why I see so many golfers with a huge disconnect between their custom-fitted irons, often with lighter and/or softer graphite or light steel shafts . . . and their off-the-rack wedges with the stock stiff steel ‘wedge flex’ shaft common to those stock offerings.
If your wedge shafts are significantly heavier and stiffer than the shafts in your irons, it is physically impossible for you to make the same swing. Period.
To quickly improve your wedge play, one of the first things you can do is have your wedges re-shafted with the same or similar shaft that is in your irons.
There’s another side of that shaft weight equation; if you don’t have the forearm and hand strength of a PGA Tour professional, you simply cannot “handle” the same weight shaft that those guys play to master the myriad of ‘touch shots’ around the greens.
Now, let’s move on to the third and other key component of your wedges – the grips. If those are not similar in shape and feel to the grips on your irons, you have another disconnect. Have your grips checked by a qualified golf club professionals to make sure you are in sync there.
The one caveat to that advice is that I am a proponent of a reduced taper in your wedge grips – putting two to four more layers of tape under the lower hand, or selecting one of the many reduced taper grips on the market. That accomplishes two goals for your scoring.
First, it helps reduce overactive hands in your full and near-full wedge swings. Quiet hands are key to good wedge shots.
And secondly, it provides a more consistent feel of the wedge in your hands as you grip down for those shorter and more delicate shots around the greens. And you should always grip down as you get into those touch shots. I call it “getting closer to your work.”
So, if you will spend as much time selecting the shafts and grips for your wedges as you do choosing the brand, model, and loft of them, your scoring range performance will get better.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1
- The Wedge Guy: The easiest-to-learn golf basic
- The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship betting preview: Tommy Fleetwood ready to finally land maiden PGA Tour title
The PGA Tour season ramps back up this week for another “signature event,” as golf fans look forward to the year’s second major championship next week.
After two weaker-field events in the Zurich Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, most of the best players in the world will head to historic Quail Hollow for one of the best non-major tournaments of the year.
Last season, Wyndham Clark won the event by four shots.
Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf known as “The Green Mile,” which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes on the course.
The field is excellent this week with 68 golfers teeing it up without a cut. All of the golfers who’ve qualified are set to tee it up, with the exception of Scottie Scheffler, who is expecting the birth of his first child.
Past Winners at Quail Hollow
- 2023: Wyndham Clark (-19)
- 2022: Max Homa (-8)
- 2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
- 2019: Max Homa (-15)
- 2018: Jason Day (-12)
- 2017: Justin Thomas (-8) (PGA Championship)
- 2016: James Hahn (-9)
- 2015: Rory McIlroy (-21)
Key Stats For Quail Hollow
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes gained: Approach will be extremely important this week as second shots at Quail Hollow can be very difficult.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Akshay Bhatia (+1.16)
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Corey Conners (+1.01)
- Shane Lowry (+0.93)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.82)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are important, as shorter tee shots will result in approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree lined, errant drives will create some real trouble for the players.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:
- Ludvig Aberg (+0.73)
- Rory McIlroy (+0.69)
- Xander Schauffele (+0.62)
- Viktor Hovland (+0.58)
- Chris Kirk (+0.52)
Proximity: 175-200
The 175-200 range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard.
Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:
- Cameron Young (28’2″)
- Akshay Bhatia (29’6″)
- Ludvig Aberg (+30’6″)
- Sam Burns (+30’6″)
- Collin Morikawa (+30’9″)
SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs
Players who thrive on Tom Fazio designs get a bump for me at Quail Hollow this week.
SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs over past 36 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.10)
- Rory McIlroy (+1.95)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.68)
- Austin Eckroat (+1.60)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.57)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)
Strokes Gained: Putting has historically graded out as the most important statistic at Quail Hollow. While it isn’t always predictable, I do want to have it in the model to bump up golfers who prefer to putt on Bermudagrass.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Taylor Moore (+0.82)
- Nick Dunlap (+.76)
- Wyndham Clark (+.69)
- Emiliano Grillo (+.64)
- Cam Davis (+.61)
Course History
This stat will incorporate players that have played well in the past at Quail Hollow.
Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):
- Rory McIlroy (+2.50)
- Justin Thomas (+1.96)
- Jason Day (+1.92)
- Rickie Fowler (+1.83)
- Viktor Hovland (+1.78)
Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Total on Fazio designs (12%), Proximity: 175-200 (12%), SG: Putting Bermuda grass (12%), and Course History (14%).
- Wyndham Clark
- Rory McIlroy
- Xander Schauffele
- Shane Lowry
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Viktor Hovland
- Cameron Young
- Austin Eckroat
- Byeong Hun An
- Justin Thomas
2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks
Tommy Fleetwood +2500 (DraftKings)
I know many out there have Tommy fatigue when it comes to betting, which is completely understandable given his lack of ability to win on the PGA Tour thus far in his career. However, history has shown us that players with Fleetwood’s talent eventually break though, and I believe for Tommy, it’s just a matter of time.
Fleetwood has been excellent on Tom Fazio designs. Over his past 36 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Fazio tracks. He’s also been incredibly reliable off the tee this season. He’s gained strokes in the category in eight of his past nine starts, including at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the three “signature events” of the season. Tommy is a golfer built for tougher courses and can grind it out in difficult conditions.
Last year, Fleetwood was the first-round leader at this event, firing a Thursday 65. He finished the event in a tie for 5th place.
For those worried about Fleetwood’s disappointing start his last time out at Harbour Town, he’s bounced back nicely after plenty of poor outings this season. His T7 at the Valero Texas Open was after a MC and T35 in his prior two starts and his win at the Dubai Invitational came after a T47 at the Sentry.
I expect Tommy to bounce back this week and contend at Quail Hollow.
Justin Thomas +3000 (DraftKings)
It’s been a rough couple of years for Justin Thomas, but I don’t believe things are quite as bad as they seem for JT. He got caught in the bad side of the draw at Augusta for last month’s Masters and has gained strokes on approach in seven of his nine starts in 2024.
Thomas may have found something in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished T5 at a course that he isn’t the best fit for on paper. He also finally got the putter working and ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.
The two-time PGA champion captured the first of his two major championships at Quail Hollow back in 2017, and some good vibes from the course may be enough to get JT out of his slump.
Thomas hasn’t won an event in just about two years. However, I still believe that will change soon as he’s been one of the most prolific winners throughout his PGA Tour career. Since 2015, he has 15 PGA Tour wins.
Course history is pretty sticky at Quail Hollow, with players who like the course playing well there on a regular basis. In addition to JT’s PGA Championship win in 2017, he went 4-1 at the 2022 Presidents Cup and finished T14 at the event last year despite being in poor form. Thomas can return as one of the top players on the PGA Tour with a win at a “signature event” this week.
Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings)
For many golf bettors, it’s been frustrating backing Cam Young this season. His talent is undeniable, and one of the best and most consistent performers on the PGA Tour. He just hasn’t broken through with a victory yet. Quail Hollow has been a great place for elite players to get their first victory. Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all notched their first PGA Tour win at Quail.
Throughout Cam Young’s career, he has thrived at tougher courses with strong fields. This season, he finished T16 at Riviera and T9 at Augusta National, demonstrating his preference of a tough test. His ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee make him an ideal fit for Quail Hollow, despite playing pretty poorly his first time out in 2023 (T59). Young should be comfortable playing in the region as he played his college golf at Wake Forest, which is about an hour’s drive from Quail Hollow.
The 26-year-old has played well at Tom Fazio designs in the past and ranks 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on those courses in his last 36 rounds. Perhaps most importantly, this season, Young is the best player on the PGA Tour in terms of proximity from 175-200 in the fairway, which is where a plurality and many crucial shots will come from this week.
Young is an elite talent and Quail Hollow has been kind to players of his ilk who’ve yet to win on Tour.
Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)
Byeong Hun An missed some opportunities last weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He finished T4 and played some outstanding golf, but a couple of missed short putts prevented him from getting to the winning score of -23. Despite not getting the win, it’s hard to view An’s performance as anything other than an overwhelming success. It was An’s fourth top-ten finish of the season.
Last week, An gained 6.5 strokes ball striking, which was 7th in the field. He also ranked 12th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The South Korean has been hitting the ball so well from tee to green all season long and he now heads to a golf course that should reward his precision.
An’s driver and long irons are absolute weapons. At Quail Hollow, players will see plenty of approach shots from the 175-200 range as well as some from 200+. In his past 24 rounds, Ben ranks 3rd in the field in proximity from 175-200 and 12th in proximity from 200+. Playing in an event that will not end up being a “birdie” fest should help An, who can separate from the field with his strong tee to green play. The putter may not always cooperate but getting to -15 is much easier than getting to -23 for elite ball strikers who tend to struggle on the greens.
Winning a “signature event” feels like a tall task for An this week with so many elite players in the field. However, he’s finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters and T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 32-year-old’s game has improved drastically this season and I believe he’s ready to get the biggest win of his career.
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Gary
Sep 21, 2013 at 1:33 pm
How much more imposition on the well-behaved fan will it take. Someone yelling next to me is startling and unnerving. That is not why I go to tournaments.
Plus, the yelling can be heard across the course. A player on an adjacent hole could be disturbed.
Coming next, AIR HORNS! No problem if used after the ball is hit. That is the reason I’ll never go to an Oakland A’s baseball game. Listen to the background noise if you never have before.
james
Sep 19, 2013 at 11:46 am
i work for a movie theater called the alamo drafthouse and we have a zero tolerance policy on talking and texting during movies
if we hear you talk, pull out your phone and see the light from the screen you get one warning, you do it again you get kicked out without a refund
i think the pga tour needs to implement the exact same policy, someone yells something stupid, the officials give them a warning, they get caught doing it again, they are out of there, no refund
Sagamore
Sep 18, 2013 at 10:48 pm
The time has come for these yellers to be ejected from tournament grounds..
Give them one chance. Second offense is grounds for removal. Once some of these miscreants are offered up a examples of what not to do, the yelling and other stupidity will slow to a crawl.
Robin
Sep 17, 2013 at 5:53 pm
The last comment completely misses the two main points. Firstly, the shouting is ruining the golf for the majority of fans. As the article suggests if someone shouted mashed potatoes in my ear at a tournament they are likely to get a mashed face. The second point is that the idiots are trying to get the shout in first so they are getting closer and closer to impact and before. Even if a shout is a split second before impact, the players are waiting for it and it is putting them off. The answer is simple, anyone shouting gets put off the course. End of.
Elmo
Sep 20, 2013 at 2:26 pm
I disagree with you’re two points. Firstly, there is no proof that the majority of fans are annoyed by this yelling. There have been no studies done whence so ever to prove this. In many sports, fans do not agree with each other when it comes to the methods of crowd participation. Although fans who do not mind yelling are not necessarily voicing their opinion on the issue does not mean the majority of fans do not like it. Most people who show up to golf tournaments are not necessarily fansof golf or even serious golfers such as myself and everybody else on golf wrx but just want to see a professional golf tournament when it comes to their town. Crowd participation becoming an active part of the game may mean the increase of attendance on Thursday and Fridays which is obviously far from capacity at non-major tournaments. Secondly, in my past comment I clearly stated that crowd participation is okay as long as it does not defer a players focus during a swing. We must grow the sport not scare people away from it by actively throwing them out from events without refund.
Elmo
Sep 17, 2013 at 9:29 am
I disagree with the article and with most of the comments posted here. The game of golf needs to grow. The best way for the game to grow is for more fans to be interested in the game. While it is totally unacceptable for fans to scream during a backswing, I think it is totally unnecessary to scare potential fans away from the game by imparting rules which punish crowd participation. Furthermore, golf’s reputation as a rich man’s sport is only being sustained by spoiled golf fans who have to hear “baba booey” or “mashed potatoes” once in a while on their television sets. Stephen Ames said it perfectly at this years Canadian Open when he said that pro golfers are spoiled. Too bad if they have to hear something stupid like “Yabba Dabba Do” once in a while. It’s their job. It’s what they signed up for, and it’s not hurting anybody. There are much more annoying things and people, waiters and construction workers need to put up with everyday. As long as the shouting does not actively disturb players during a swing we need to put up with it.
Svensson
Sep 16, 2013 at 5:22 am
“The marshalls already have signs that say “quiet please.” Tell fans if they say anything while that sign is up they are gone, and banned from the event for five years.”
Hear, hear.
Eric
Sep 9, 2013 at 10:31 pm
I actually prefer when they yell “Chewbacca” when Dufner tee’s off. Just seems appropriate.
Cory
Sep 6, 2013 at 9:32 pm
Wayne Gretzky, i know is not playing anymore! but yall get the picture.
Cory
Sep 6, 2013 at 9:30 pm
Hey, as long as it isnt being yelled mid swing…. and without profane language…. suck it up golfers! As a huge pro sports fan, a lot of us know this happens at every stadium, field, rink, and court. At all of these events, a fan yelling bad language or purposely disrupting the athletes will be ejected. Golf should follow suit, and is appropriately. By all means, if any of us want to yell “light the candle” after a ball is in flight, pro golfers need to grin and bare it. They are pro athletes in the public eyes….and mouths, just as Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, LeBron James and Derek Jeter are. I wonder if they had any annoying fans to deal with??…….ya think?!?!?!
Keith
Sep 4, 2013 at 8:45 am
Gotta embarrass the crap out of the idiots who yell stupid things all the time, escort them out, and make sure people see it. I mean it is a lot of pressure to play well as a professional. You don’t need a yelling heckler to make it even more so.
John Mehoff
Sep 1, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Hot DRUNK Chicks are a bad thing now?
You guys SURE you play golf?
Ed
Aug 29, 2013 at 1:22 pm
Not for nothing but the title of this should have been ‘Yabba Dabba.. Do Please Shut Up’
Phil
Aug 27, 2013 at 7:14 am
PGA need to get their priorities straight and sort this out. Could be done easily, but sadly they’re not interested
David Smith
Aug 27, 2013 at 11:50 am
Theres nothing the PGA can do, whatever happens after the quiet sign lowers is not up to the PGA. It should be out of respect for the game of golf and the players.
Phil
Aug 27, 2013 at 2:23 pm
what’s stopping them from ejecting anyone who does this from the course ??
Zero tolerance would stop it pretty quick I imagine
james
Aug 27, 2013 at 3:56 am
wish i could have been at the barclay’s to yell at tiger to stop rolling around and faking the severity of his injury.
WHICH IRINS ARE THE LONGERT?
Chris Downing
Aug 27, 2013 at 2:35 am
Follow the money. When the Ryder Cup is trailed everywhere as something like ‘war’ between the USA and the ‘World’, whne the big Tour Events are trailed as so sn so’s last chance, as the showdown between, whatever, the non golfers are being targetted to watch. It’s all about numbers, the mre watchers the better paid the TV companies by advertisers, the mre controversy, the more watchers, the mre the advertisers pay, the mre the sponsorship money goes up.
Do you think mre people would watch ice hockey f their were no fights, do you think more people would watch baseball if all the referee’s decisions were subject to TV analysis and were changed when he’s wrong, do you think newspapers need to shape up and be honest and have integrity? It’s all about numbers and money.
When golf became like other big sports and needed commercial sponsorship and TV deals to pay those big prizes, a lot of integrity and good judgement gets rubbed away. When you promote an event as – This is THE place to be this Weekend – alongside A motor racing event that THE place to be, the NBA Finals that’s THE place to be and the SuperBowl that’s THE place to be – and you quickly realise that lots of those who attend no nothing about what they are watching – its just THE place to be today!
Like taking your best mate to play a round of golf and he knows nothing – he talks non stop over every shot, he plays out of order, he walks on your putting line, and shouts across the fairway, oblivious to others playing nearby. That’s what Golf has done – invited in the masses who know nothing – because of the money.
Fixing it is difficult. The answer for you as a go,fer is easy – watch and attend the less publicised events – you’ll be with a knowledgeable crowd, fewer in the gallery, and no shouting. Where are the shouters – well they’ve headed off for Wimbledon this week and are happliy shoutng at Tennis stars they know nothing about and next week they will be back on home territory – Football or Baseball.
Rick
Aug 26, 2013 at 8:22 pm
Not a very well written article (GolfWRX needs an editor if it wants to “be taken seriously”, but I digress) but I agree with the main points. We are all tired of the yelling.
Randall
Aug 26, 2013 at 8:20 pm
Kooch is getting old, it’s every hole.
The most annoying to me is the guy who yells “great shot” directly off the head, only for the ball to miss the fairway by forty yards. Where was the good shot? Is the man that ignorant a person, or player? Does he even play?
greg
Aug 26, 2013 at 6:29 pm
It needs to stop. Pleas start having more security
people at these events to escort these dumb idiots off the course
David Smith
Aug 26, 2013 at 4:19 pm
This is an American thing; unfortunately they’ve got no respect for the players or the game and lack any chance of having some sort of class. This never happens anywhere else in the world.
Nick
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:45 pm
This problem is not unique to golf. What is the problem is golf’s delayed reaction. Professional baseball has people run into the outfield mid game. For all those saying this seems to be an American problem, it is but I also remember the Open Championship being plagued with streakers so get off your high horse. The solution has been tested and proven effective in other sports – DON’T PUT IT ON TV. Cut to commercials. They used to show these guys running all over the field and Security falling all over themselves. It reached epidemic proportions. Now, you hardly hear of it. Why, becuase it’s not put in the media and the motive goes away.
Tyler
Aug 26, 2013 at 2:50 pm
I agree with not putting it on TV. How can you stop yelling on TV though? Cut the audio entirely?
Randall
Aug 26, 2013 at 8:22 pm
The second they stop Tiger’s audio and his GD’s and other curse words. If its fine for him to be ignorant and trashy, so it is for the fan as well
PacoJoe7
Aug 26, 2013 at 12:39 pm
I think the soultion is that you get one warning, and after that you get ejected from the tournament. Once word gets around that people are starting to get thrown out and possilby arrested for disorderly conduct, you’ll start to see this behavior go down. It diminishes the quality of the spectator experience, so the PGA should take some action here as it is effecting their product.
Randy
Aug 26, 2013 at 5:07 pm
I don’t see what the problem is. If you don’t like yelling, then don’t yell. And can it really be so loud that it bothers you? Then wear ear plugs. I don’t see why people should even be quiet prior to a golf shot. Why can a basketball player shot a free throw with hundreds of people screaming and waving their arms, but a golfer can’t make a swing? Should the tour also ban cars from driving on roads that are adjacent to golf holes? Should fans not be allowed to cheer whenever someone holes out because it might distract another player on another hole? What about courses near airports? Should there be a no fly zone? Should the tour ban birds? And course maintenance equipment? These guys are pros. I think they can concentrate for 5 seconds.
james
Aug 27, 2013 at 3:54 am
this.
Colin Gillbanks
Sep 3, 2013 at 11:12 am
Hey Randy,
Next time you play in the UK, give me a call and I’ll join you. I’ll scream and shout when you’re about the take every shot. No bother.
Seriously?
Tyler
Aug 26, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Unfortunately, I think Babapotato is right. It looks like it will have to get worse before it gets better. I attended The Greenbrier Classic the last few years, following Tiger one of the rounds. I was actually surprised/proud of how few ridiculous yells I heard compared to other events. People who yell in golf are ridiculous and there is no place for it.
I know it would be pretty expensive but with some of the money that the Tour makes I would like to see them implement a small security team with one task; kicking these people out. I think it is too much responsibility to ask volunteers to take the task on but I am sure they could find some ex-cops, security specialists, or I ? who could easily handle it. Maybe just ban yelling the first 3-5 seconds after the player swings to see if that works, like the article suggests.
If they hired a small hand full of paid security guards who have the skills to quietly extract these people who yell from the tournaments and then televise just the first few of these ejections it would make it known that kind of behavior isn’t going to be tolerated. Once the fan is ejected Nick Faldo could actually contribute for once by taking pride in letting viewers know that the person has been kicked out and banned for the rest of the tournament. They could come back next year but if it happened again they would be banned from tour events for life. They could start by following marquee players like Phil and Tiger on a trial basis. I doubt they would object. Once the tour take a stance against this players like Keegan would no longer condone it. I am sure there will be some controversy in the beginning but not by anyone important. The media coverage of it wouldn’t hold a candle to the anchoring ban controversy. I like the way the tour says they do not want to mess with anything that doesn’t directly affect play but they ban caddies from running to the 16th green at the Waste Management, which is a one time a year thing. I am at least glad more people are talking about this issue. Hopefully something will happen for this to stop.
Baba Booey
Aug 26, 2013 at 11:55 am
ME!!!
Brian
Aug 26, 2013 at 11:40 am
What is not mentioned is the impact that such yelling has on the swing of an unseen golfer on a nearby hole, even though the spectator shouts after the golfer in his view hits their shot. Ban it and start tossing people who don’t comply.
Lynn
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:00 pm
It took two hours of comments for the real problem to come out. Eventually someone yelling after Keegan hits a drive will disrupt Tiger or Phil on a close green on a Sunday, and Finchem will have to step in a do something. All of the players will say it doesn’t bother them, until it costs someone a tourney. At that point it goes from giggles, to costing someone a 2 year exemption on tour and 400k that day. It becomes a lot less funny.
Elmo
Sep 17, 2013 at 9:19 am
I don’t understand how this can truly effect players if people are still allowed to cheer on golf courses. Are we going to take away cheering from the game too? The best players in the game have developed a focus to the point which a train could be running behind them and they don’t know.
AJ Jensen
Aug 26, 2013 at 11:06 am
If a yeller gets slugged, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Maybe it would compel the PGA to finally take action as well.
Sirus
Aug 26, 2013 at 5:30 am
>Imagine if someone followed you around your office yelling “mashed potatoes.” Would it really make you worse at your job? Maybe not. But would you want to punch him or her in the face on your bad days? Probably.
Couldn’t agree more.
Duf
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:55 am
Mashed Potato!
P
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:55 am
Baba Booey
Chris
Aug 26, 2013 at 12:08 am
When a lot of people think of golf, they think of grumpy old men, “traditionalists” if you want to call it that. I’d like to see golf move with the times and get out of the 19th century, and that means allowing fans to yell AFTER the player hits. The only reason to put a stop to it would be if fans were yelling during a player’s swing. Besides, Dufner and other pros have admitted finding it humorous and not being bothered by it. So if they can stand it, then I think people watching on their couches can stand it as well.
eric
Aug 25, 2013 at 9:17 pm
Did anyone hear what Jason Dufner said on Howard Stern about fans yelling “Babba Booey”? It is after we hit the shot and doesn’t bother anyone. Yes, Jason is a Stern fan. The PGA doesn’t care about it because it is getting play in arena’s that would never talk about golf, like the Howard Stern show that has the largest radio audience in the world. Golf is just like every other sport it is all about the money.
Sean
Aug 25, 2013 at 5:11 pm
Mr. Finchem won’t do anything. It’s obnoxious, immature, and it certainly isn’t funny. The host golf course should have a policy along with the Tour: immediate ejection and banned from any other Tour events for a full calendar year from the time of the infraction.
Dave
Aug 25, 2013 at 1:31 pm
It doesn’t help when the younger pros (Keegan Bradley) go on certain radio shows who promote this sort of nonsense and profess their fondness of it.
Colin gillbanks
Aug 25, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Just make it clear at all events that its not acceptable and that anyone doing it will be removed from the premises immediately. I’m all for making golf more fun and attractive to the masses, but this kind of moronic behaviour adds nothing whatsoever.
Simple solution.
Dan
Sep 18, 2013 at 3:17 pm
+1
Yep it is that simple. Being stupid and rude should have consequences. Kick them out and let Moose and Rocco escort them to their cars. It’s the PGA’s problem to enforce.
Done and done!
Chris
Aug 25, 2013 at 11:13 am
Perhaps a partial solution is to stop selling adult beverages, police tailgaters/byob’ers and bar visibly intoxicated fans from entering the events. Can’t hurt at least.
Tom
Aug 25, 2013 at 12:01 pm
I would like to enjoy a refreshing alcoholic drink… I can do so without acting stupid. The Needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few.
Billy
Sep 16, 2013 at 1:04 pm
+1 on that. We already have enough of “the least common denominator” rule in the US!!!!!!!!!
Wally K
Aug 25, 2013 at 9:57 am
The yelling needs to stop. Its only funny to drunk abnoxious individuals so they do not need to be on the course. I enjoy watching all tours and its only here that you hear the childish behaviors.
Tom
Aug 25, 2013 at 11:56 am
+1
Ralph
Aug 24, 2013 at 10:13 pm
Poulter has the solution… taser them.
It is annoying enough that I’m pretty much done watching the television broadcasts.
I think billy bob the annoying jerk is recording the event and goes home to his mom’s basement and replay’s his antics on a continuous basis while laughing hysterically.
Tad
Aug 24, 2013 at 9:08 pm
If you want it to stop – if the Tour wants it to stop – then get rid of the “Stadium” grandstands and shut them up that way. Stop providing places for them to all get together to holla and yell with beer in their hands, like at the Phoenix Open’s 17th. That’s what started the “oh, so it IS OK to behave like we’re at the NFL/MLB stadium and get rowdy” mentality.
Be done with it. NOW. No more massive grandstands. It was never meant to be a stadium sport, so why venture down that road at all? Get rid of them.
natural_one
Aug 26, 2013 at 12:02 pm
It’s 16, not 17.
Anyways…
Tell the players to quit throwing hats, balls, and merchandise into the stands on that hole than.
Tell the players to quit doing the Gangam Style dance on the green.
Tell the caddies to quit racing and falling, spilling clubs everywhere.
Tell the players to quit rapping on the tee box.
Tell the players to quit tossing food in the stands.
#16 is an exception and the players know it…if they dont like it, they can skip that tourny.
I dont like the yelling as much as anyone else, but #16 is and will be an exception forever. Having gone to the tourny for years, I would honestly say that the other 17 holes at the WM Open are much more along the lines of respectful golf viewing. The frat boys and sorority slews do stumble on to other holes occasionally, but they quickly find their way back to their watering hole at the 16th, or on their knees in a port-a-potty.
paul
Aug 24, 2013 at 7:53 pm
Just got in from the LPGA Canadian Open Saturday event. I didn’t hear a single yell.
Tony
Aug 26, 2013 at 8:00 pm
That’s because there wasn’t a single fan! HIIIIIIIIIIII OHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I’ll be here all week.
Mr Scwump
Aug 24, 2013 at 2:55 pm
Totally agree something needs to be done by PGA. Unfortunately volunteer marshals can only enforce “Quite” to a certain point even if you had spectator rules. And since this usually involves morons that want their 5 seconds of idiocy on the air, they won’t have any regard for etiquette no matter what you tell them. Maybe a PSA campaign by PGA and networks would work…..similar to what Golf Channel did with slow play.
ChrisOB
Aug 24, 2013 at 1:34 pm
I’m new to golf but have already noticed while watching tournament coverage that this is predominantly an issue within the US.
It is annoying, and my main concern is that what starts in the US eventually makes it’s way to the UK/Europe so I’d be very interested to see if the rulemakers can nip this in the bud before it becomes ingrained, especially amongst younger supporters.
naflack
Aug 24, 2013 at 12:03 pm
you grow the game from an attendance stand point and to some degree this is unavoidable. the first time i heard get in the hole i thought immediately that this is going to get ridiculous in a hurry. this is absolutely an american culture issue. good, bad or indifferent we are a culture of obnoxious rubes. i think it is in the tours best interest to deal with this sooner than later before it adversely affects the attendance of the desired patrons. how long until it becomes an environment you dont want to subject your children to (nfl)?
TRG
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:19 pm
The environment you want to protect your children from is the one within earshot of Tiger Woods’s potty mouth.
SilenceOfTheHams
Aug 24, 2013 at 7:17 am
The PGA Tour needs to borrow a strategy from the political realm and hire someone as a PLANT, a very loud and extremely obnoxious individual inserted just behind a tee box at a crucial time in a prominent event. The hired person–I would contribute to his paycheck–should so embarrass fans, the viewership, and the Tour itself that a new law, with severe punishment, gets passed to end this juvenile practice.
“But the fans want to express themselves!”
Hooey. Give the fans the opportunity to try something much more fun, less individualized, and more inclusive: Let them all, as the players walk off the tee, practice the new sport of “Dufnering.” Thousands of fans, sitting on their rumps, legs extended, arms awkwardly straight at their sides, would be an absolute hoot to watch on television.
The beneficial part of this idea for the Tour is that Dufnering is SILENT!
Baba Booey
Aug 26, 2013 at 9:37 am
Mashed Potatoes!
TJ
Aug 29, 2013 at 10:46 am
On another note how awesome would it have been when they presented the Wanamaker Trophy to Jason if the crowed instead of cheering, Dufnered? that would have made for some memorable TV.
yo!
Aug 24, 2013 at 12:15 am
Golf etiquette has changed, and not for the better, but I would not defend a guy going up to slug another guy just because he yells “baba booey.” It won’t happen because I doubt it will turn violent unless the aggressor was completely drunk or high in which case he may be the one doing the screaming or laughing. I agree that yelling during or before a swing is punishable by expulsion because it does impact the players, but doing so after the ball leaves the club should not affect the players themselves. Unfortunately, it is the price of golf being so popular. People like me still have our own private clubs to retreat to with a certain decorum, but I don’t expect that of a public arena.
Joe Golfer
Aug 23, 2013 at 11:36 pm
Read a recent article that actually interviewed numerous people who are known to yell at tournaments. Most were college age males. The “mashed potatoes” guy started because he went to a tourney, told his parents he would be there and to let him know if they saw him on tv. They asked how they’d know where he was at, so he said he’d yell “Mashed Potatoes” after a drive, and then they could look for him.
Just some immature kid who wants mommy and daddy to see him on tv.
Others who yell said that they did it as a bet with friends (usually drinking friends) to see if they could get their yell on tv.
Ian Poulter had a tweet today about the first round of this week’s tournament. Somebody yelled “Baba Booey”, and the officials kicked him off the course. Poulter was pleased, and so was I.
These yellers use the excuse that they are doing it a couple seconds after the shot was struck, not during the shot, so it should be okay with everybody. They claim that people around them laugh, and thus it makes the game more interesting and entertaining for the fans.
Pretty lame excuses, if you ask me. Just shut up and grow up already.
Babapotato
Aug 23, 2013 at 11:32 pm
Someone needs to be te martyr.
Go to an event and yell like the craziest fool alive. Yell during swings, yell profanity, yell , yell, yell until we hit the breaking point and the networks, PGA and course are forced to stop it.
Let’s hit the breaking point!!!
TJ
Aug 29, 2013 at 9:57 am
I king of like this thought. hopefully you get some air time after so you can explain why you did it to prove a point that this sort of behavior on a golf course is annoying and can affect a golfers performance. Golf is a mental game why else do players pay psychologists to help their game, yelling and acting line an ass can get into even the strongest of minds at some point.
I attended the Canadian Open this year and I am ashamed to say that I experienced this behavior even in the Great White North. I to, had the urge to punch this person but did not take action as I wanted to stay and watch the event.(chickened out)
Get these clowns off the course, next we will have some of the players dressing like clowns….. oh wait I guess its to late for that too.
JD
Aug 23, 2013 at 10:56 pm
It is predominantly an American problem. All the other tours don’t have any where near as much shouting and bad behaviour. In the UK we save that sort of conduct for soccer games. The only time we hear inappropriate shouting at golf tournaments in Europe is during the Ryder Cup. I follow golf on tv and turn out when a decent event is in my area. I would not, if the small minority of badly behaved fans behaved like the ones on the PGA tour do. I,like the majority go to watch the best players play their best golf. Not to listen to mashed potato 300 times a day. To the mindless bums who go to a golf tourne to behave like idiots I say “grow up”.To the officials I say “grow a pair” and sort this out before it ruins the majority’s enjoyment.
ABgolfer2
Aug 24, 2013 at 7:43 pm
Tun off the microphones an dub in stock driver sounds. Put out an SAP signal featuring persimmon and balata for the fogies (like me). I Remember hearing “you da man” 20 years ago and one PC gone wild tool at Doral who’d yell “you’re the person!” Every year on Sundays. Yes that happened and we let it happen.
Nick
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:36 pm
This is the solution. Seriously, the broadcast is on tape delay. Edit it out.
bigchussy
Aug 26, 2013 at 2:16 pm
If the Euros don’t like it, then they should just play in Europe. I think the PGA Tour will somehow go on, if Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood don’t want to play here.
david
Sep 13, 2013 at 10:42 am
its always the americans that do this, im from scotland and everytime an event is here you guys ruin it with your shouting nonsense, just shut up its not clever or funny and you sound like an asshole.
Marc
Aug 23, 2013 at 9:55 pm
You can thank that frickin’ Phoenix Open too.. They all seem to think that is great, yelling and booing shots there. The TV announcers, the players, etc..
It was only a matter of time before it spread like a cancer.
I was next to a stunad here at the Houston Open that yelled “mashed potatoes” during a Lee Westwood shot.. He yelled and then ran off like a little 5 year old.. I followed him asking him “why the hell do you do that”.. Of course he just kept walking off knowing that he had been an idiot.. I am betting it wasn’t the last time he did it..
They need to boot them off the course.
Nick
Aug 26, 2013 at 1:34 pm
I really have no problem with the Phoenix Open. Obviously it was not always the way it is, but if one event wants to be the loud drunken frat party scene on tour, that’s fine. Attendence numbers seem to demonstrate the fans AT THAT EVENT want that. Players can avoid the Phoenix Open if they wish.
However, golf is a game with decorum and it should stay that way. When I buy a ticket to a PGA tour event I don’t want to have my ear drum shattered by Baba-boey. It was funny once, now its borderline annoying. It also seems to be bothering the players which is the most conclusive sign that its gotten out of control.
Tony
Aug 26, 2013 at 7:54 pm
I completely agree with you. Except your last sentence. Those players are there because they want to be professional golfers. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I’m sure most of them could stop touring and live comfortable lives. I’m sure they could still play golf every day, all day if they wanted. Those fans are the reason those people exist. The only thing more annoying than a fan screaming something stupid when a player swings, is a professional golfer taking offense to something a fan does.
tom milhaus
Sep 4, 2013 at 12:13 am
I don’t mind the yellers. that’s sort of the problem with golf, it’s really stuck in the old days, I mean really stuck. People already laugh at golfers as athletes, this pissing and moaning about the yellers exposes them as cry baby’s as well. Recall the dust up with Sergio when he claimed tiger pulled a club from his bag early? Really?
PGAPankey
Sep 23, 2013 at 7:03 pm
The issue isn’t that golfers are too prudish to have people yelling, it’s that it’s just not funny. Singer said it perfectly, if someone kept telling a stupid joke eventually you would tell them to shut up.
Courtney
Aug 23, 2013 at 9:34 pm
Pre-Cambrian ? How about Pre-Woodsian to the Paleo-Daly era where the “you da man” screams came into vogue ? Drunken “fans” ignorant of golf etiquette while under the influence of too many adult beverages screaming their lungs out for their friends watching on TV at home. And why ? Because they didn’t understand the damage that the alcohol had done and was doing to his life.
Forest Gump’s mama had it right – stupid is as stupid does.
Jeff Singer
Aug 23, 2013 at 10:16 pm
I believe the Paleo Daly era was part of the Pleistocene Epoch. People yelled “baba booey” at early Megalodons
David E. Bassett
Sep 11, 2013 at 2:28 pm
Some things are funny only if you’re in the bag; to the undrunk, they’re annoying. Limit beer sales at tournaments and you’ll solve a big part of the yelling problem.