Fitzpatrick heckled in practice as Ryder Cup crowd dynamics emerge at Bethpage

Matt Fitzpatrick was heckled by American fans during a Wednesday practice round at Bethpage Black, a scene that observers said could foreshadow the atmosphere for visiting players during the Ryder Cup on Long Island. The moment unfolded as Fitzpatrick, one of Team Europe’s key players, attempted to chip from the rough toward the green and was met with taunts from a partisan gallery. A video circulating on social media captured the chorus of jeers, including captions such as “D1 Trollers” and explicit calls like “Fitzy, what’s going here brother” and “The green’s that way brother!” After trying to reset, Fitzpatrick turned and flashed a smile toward the crowd, a quick acknowledgment amid the pressure of practice before a high-stakes weekend beyond the ropes.

The episode arrived as the Ryder Cup build-up intensified around Long Island, with talk centering on how much influence the home gallery could exert on the competition. Collin Morikawa, a Team USA veteran, suggested the crowds would grow louder as the week progresses and even welcomed a more raucous atmosphere. “I’ll be honest, I think it’s kind of tame so far, Tuesday and Wednesday. I know tomorrow is going to be pretty bad, but I hope Friday is just absolute chaos. I’m all for it. I think it feeds into who we are and the American players and the American team,” Morikawa said. He also teased a lighthearted jab about his teammate Cam Young, adding, “I would love to see Cam Young just throw a massive fist pump in someone’s face.”

Historically, the United States has relied on a home-crowd atmosphere to spark momentum, and Morikawa’s comments underscored a broad expectation that Friday’s sessions could unleash a more intense spectacle. Yet the episode also underscored the duel-of-tactics unfolding between two teams that have long debated how to balance passion with decorum. The question is not only about volume but about whether the participants will embrace the energy in a way that enhances the competition rather than devolves into personal altercations.

Europe’s leadership appears to be leaning on a measured, engaging approach designed to channel fans’ enthusiasm rather than inflame it. The blueprint, some observers say, echoes the mindset of Bernhard Langer during the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills, when the strategy favored positive interaction with galleries rather than inflammatory rhetoric. At Bethpage, a long line of European players walked up the slope between the 17th green and the 18th tee on Tuesday, signing flags and pictures for fans. Justin Rose paused to accommodate a bare-chested admirer who asked him to sign his shirt, while Rory McIlroy spent considerable time signing autographs for children before sprinting to catch up with his playing partners. The tone was conciliatory but confident, and Tommy Fleetwood captured that mood on Wednesday when he praised the home audience for the warmth he and his teammates had felt, saying that the crowds had been “amazing” and that their job is to support the home team.

Fleetwood’s remarks reflected a broader strategy within Team Europe to blend respect and approachability with the competitive edge that a Ryder Cup demands. The European unit has signaled it will lean on interaction and consistent presence at the ropes to shape the atmosphere, aiming to maintain control of the narrative while allowing fans to become a meaningful element of the event without crossing boundaries that could distract players or undermine the sport’s decorum.

As the schedule progresses toward Friday’s start, attention remains on how both sides will navigate the emotional terrain of Bethpage Black. The Ryder Cup has long been defined by its charged energy, and this year’s edition appears poised to test whether crowd dynamics can be managed in a way that heightens drama without compromising sportsmanship. For Fitzpatrick and his teammates, the challenge is to respond to the chorus in a way that sustains momentum for Team Europe while giving the American crowd a show that emphasizes competition over provocation. The coming days will reveal whether the current mood portends a memorable, competitive weekend or a scene that fuels a broader conversation about crowd behavior in golf.