The crowd at Bethpage turned the Ryder Cup into a horror story with their profligate behavior. Whether it was instigated by Collin Morikawa or not, they caused chaos that extended towards the WAGs of the European pros as well. After the conclusion of the event, many stated that it was only a few spectators among the thousands who crossed the line. But Fred Couples believes it was the tournament management’s fault for allowing such a large audience on the course in the first place.

He joins GolfWRX for an interview to share his thoughts on the scenes at the Ryder Cup. Couples told Gianni Magliocco, “I think it got out of control in New York. I wish, let’s just say you and I were golf fans and we went to New York to watch. Fifty thousand people watching four groups? It’s impossible. And you say, well, how do we do? There wasn’t 50,000 people when I played, and they made money, and they did great. Now it’s a cash cow, but you don’t need 50,000 people watching four groups of golf.”

Couples believes having 50,000 people on the course was the first mistake the PGA of America made. With the ticket prices already set so high, fans were paying a huge price just to join the field as spectators. For example, at one point, the tickets were worth $1,320. Even if only 20% of the field paid that amount, then the PGA of America would have earned $3.2 million from 20% ticket sales. That’s the definition of a cash cow. By allowing 50,000 of them to enter the course, it was bound to turn chaotic. Especially after they watched Scottie Scheffler & Co. crumble under pressure.

That being said, the officials & security at Bethpage did act promptly to try and maintain control over the audience. Let’s see what they did throughout the tournament to improve its quality.

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Security measures taken by the Ryder Cup team to control the crowd

While the crowd around them was wild, most of the European players were still able to maintain their cool. However, Rory McIlroy lost it after a fan threw beer on his wife, Erica Stoll. The Irishman showed support for her, expressing that she is strong-willed in the next press conference. But he was infuriated inside, and he began to show it on the course. That led to many fans getting kicked out of Bethpage.

After the incident, McIlroy stopped ignoring the rants and abuse from the fans. He fought back their words with excellent strokeplay. Moreover, when the abuse got out of hand, he asked the security to remove the fan from the course. Throughout the event, there were many instances of him doing that caught on live broadcast. While he may not have shaved down the number too much from 50,000, Rory McIlroy did manage to get rid of some unruly, out-of-control spectators by the time Team Europe lifted the 2025 Ryder Cup title in New York.