You know what separates Bethpage Black from every other golf venue? It’s not just the brutal course design. It’s the 50,000 New York fans who show up ready to wage psychological warfare on anyone wearing the wrong colors. These crowds don’t just watch golf – they actively try to destroy visiting players’ confidence one heckle at a time.

Steve Scott believes he has the solution. The former U.S. Amateur finalist recently appeared on The Ole Gabbox Podcast with pointed advice for Jon Rahm and his European teammates. Scott’s message was crystal clear: embrace the villain role. Scott’s strategy centers on Patrick Reed‘s legendary crowd-baiting tactics. The Americans’ most famous moment came during the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. Reed faced relentless heckling about his missed putting from Saturday’s matches. His response became golf folklore.

“You got to think like with what Patrick Reed did a couple years ago, you know, shushing the crowd and all that stuff,” Scott explained during the podcast. “I mean, that’s that’s kind of what you want to do as the away team. You want to make sure that crowd stays as quiet as possible.”

Reed’s iconic finger-to-lips gesture on the 7th hole silenced thousands. The moment came after he sank a birdie putt following brutal taunts about his putting struggles. He later brought back his signature move at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France. At the 2019 Presidents Cup, Reed escalated further with a “shovel” gesture using his putter after taunts about carrying “14 clubs and a shovel.”

Scott’s credentials add weight to his advice. The PGA Professional battled Tiger Woods in the 1996 U.S. Amateur final. He represented the United States in two Walker Cup matches, giving him firsthand experience with hostile away crowds.

The Walker Cup, amateur golf’s premier team competition, mirrors the Ryder Cup’s intense atmosphere on a smaller scale. Scott experienced both sides of the equation during his appearances in 1997 and 1999. He understands how dramatically crowd support shifts when you’re the visiting team.

“I was fortunate enough to play a couple Walker Cup teams, one in the US and one overseas,” Scott noted. “And look, the Walker Cup and the Ryder Cup are they’re different entities, but you feel the same pressure when you’re when you’re overseas.”

This firsthand knowledge of playing under hostile conditions gives Scott a unique insight into the psychological challenges that await European players. He knows the feeling of stepping onto foreign soil with thousands rooting against every shot.

Scott’s tactical advice becomes even more compelling when considering the broader context of European struggles on American soil.

Jon Rahm and Europe’s historical away struggles

This advice carries extra weight given Europe’s dismal American record. The visiting team hasn’t won in the United States since the “Miracle at Medinah” in 2012. Their recent defeats have been devastating, losing by an average of seven points in their last three visits.

The psychological warfare runs deeper than most realize. During the 1999 Ryder Cup, European captain Mark James’s wife was reportedly spat on by US spectators. That incident highlighted how toxic American crowds can become toward European players.

Jon Rahm faces particular scrutiny given his emotional volatility. The “Raging Bull” recently confronted a crowd member at the Open Championship after someone whistled during his backswing. “Whistling? Great timing. Right in my backswing. Very smart, whoever it was,” Rahm snapped.

Robert MacIntyre has shown he can fight back. During the BMW Championship, he responded to pro-USA chants by shushing the crowd himself. The Scottish left-hander pointed his putter directly at a heckler, showing the kind of defiance Scott advocates.

Scott’s philosophy is simple yet effective. “You make a birdie. The crowd’s not going to clap that much when you’re the away team. They’re just not,” he observed. “It’s just the facts and it’s what what you have to do. You have to embrace that.”

The message for Europe is clear. Don’t shrink from Bethpage’s hostility. Instead, channel Reed’s blueprint to transform crowd hatred into competitive advantage. September’s showdown will reveal whether Scott’s strategy can finally end Europe’s American drought.