Patrons were treated to another historic Masters as Rory McIlroy became only the fourth player to win back-to-back green jackets. But some concerns over crowd conduct have emerged from golf’s greatest major.
While the Masters has built its reputation on strict etiquette and a knowledgeable, restrained gallery, that seemingly wasn’t always the case last week.
Most notably, one spectator was picked up on the broadcast microphones shouting during Rory McIlroy’s tee shot on Saturday. It’s an interruption that isn’t out of the ordinary for a regular golf tournament but is considered highly unusual at Augusta.
The timing of the outburst drew immediate criticism. Speaking on The NCG Golf Podcast, Tom Irwin and Dan Murphy said that while isolated, it wasn’t the only example of questionable behaviour.
They referenced a few scenarios across the week where fan conduct didn’t always align with the tournament’s high standards. They also suggested a subtle but noticeable change in the atmosphere from years gone past.
“It was partisan (the feeling around Augusta during the final round on Sunday),” Irwin noted. “There were people rooting against McIlroy and for Cam Young.
“That was kind of the case with a lot of the groups that came through, I thought. There was definitely was rooting for a home victor amongst the crowd.
“It’s not quite what I expected from the patrons given so much is made of the exceptional behaviour you get from a Masters gallery versus what we saw at the Ryder Cup last year.”
Murphy echoed those sentiments. He added that support within the galleries was not as universally aligned behind McIlroy as might have been expected.
He added: “If you came saying Rory is as popular with these galleries as Tiger (Woods) or Phil (Mickelson), that isn’t quite right from what we’ve seen.
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“That kind of stuff was around Amen Corner, which is the most lively part of the golf course. As you climb the hill back to towards 17 and 18, it dilutes a little bit and by the end I think there was an unbelievably warm reception for Rory as the champion.”
Irwin also noticed a shift from the feel earlier in the week to a more charged weekend environment.
“I think it changed (the atmosphere) as the week went on,” he added. “I thought the environment on Wednesday, and even on Thursday, was kind of almost garden party.
“Certainly, on Wednesday people were there to enjoy themselves, see the golf course, take pictures. It was very light and [there was] a levity to the atmosphere.
“That built as the tournament progressed. Once you get into the weekend, I thought the weekend crowd was different.
“There was more drinking. I think I counted one drunk person up until yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. There were definitely people who had a beer.
“I was surprised to hear some of the negative comments around Rory – willing his ball into the water and all that kind of stuff.”
Despite these incidents, the pair noted the overall tone of the championship remained largely in keeping with tradition.
Whether these were simply isolated incidents or a sign of a broader cultural shift among spectators remains to be seen. But at a tournament and in a sport where etiquette is so important it is something worth thinking about.
Main image: Masters champion Rory McIlroy plays an approach stroke during the third round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club | Source: Kohjiro Kinno
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