The PGA Needs To Do Something About Fans Yelling Ridiculous Things After Golf Shots
This weekend's theme was apparently food as fans yelled "MASHED POTATOES!" after a Tiger Woods shot (see video below), "SCALLOPED POTATOES!" following an Adam Scott shot, and "RUTABAGA!" during another shot by Woods.
The yelling was idiotic and gives the broadcast a sophomoric, "Caddyshack 2" feel, and if the PGA Tour doesn't step in and do something to stop it, it will only get worse.
Golfer Ian Poulter even went to Twitter, jokingly suggesting the people yelling should be tazered...
"This baba boo sh*t & mash potato crap shouting wouldn't happen at Augusta, The Open, nor would it happen at Wimbledon. Tazer the thrushes."
Yelling after shots is not new in the world of golf. For years, it seemed like every big shot was followed by several fans screaming "GET IN THE HOLE!" whether or not the shot was actually threatening to go in the hole.
But this new breed of golf yelling is not done out of fandom or excitement. It is simply just a look-at-me effort to get on TV and get mentions on websites and Howard Stern's radio show in a game of who can yell the craziest word or phrase. Ultimately, it is no better than fans that run on to the field to interrupt sporting events for their own simple amusement.
Some fans think golfers should be able to handle the noise. But as Jay Busbee of Yahoo! Sports points out, it is not the noise that is an issue. Rather, it is the sudden outburst of noise from an otherwise silent scene, that is the problem.
This type of behavior is almost non-existent at The Masters where officials have a zero-tolerance policy for fans that misbehave. The PGA Tour needs to do the same at other events or it will get worse before it gets better.
Here is one fan yelling during a tee shot by Woods...