Don't expect any rowdiness from Masters patrons

Unruly fan behavior has increasingly become a regular topic of conversation and concern on the PGA Tour, with golf stars Justin Thomas and Sergio Garcia going as far as having spectators ejected from recent events.

Augusta National, however, is a likely oasis in a sea of rowdiness.

“The patrons at Augusta National, we all hold it in such high esteem, that we won’t have screaming of ‘Mashed potatoes!’ and things like that,” said Nick Faldo, a three-time Masters champion. “I believe the patrons will marshal each other if somebody does step out of line and say Augusta National is definitely not the right place for that.”

From unpleasant taunting of players and wives at international team events to the over-the-top party atmosphere of the stadium 16th hole at the Phoenix Open, the debate has been raging over how far is too far when it comes to spectator behavior at golf tournaments.

Rory McIlroy voiced concern about the amount of alcohol flowing in hospitality chalets that tower over top tee boxes. Other players have decried shouts from the gallery that target players or their families personally.

The Masters, however, is largely immune to such things. Patrons generally walk around with a sense of awe and reverence, like they were entering the national cathedral instead of a major sporting event.

“I think given how hard it is to get in at Augusta, I think maybe the fans are a little more cautious of not wanting to be thrown out,” said Henrik Stenson.

Security at Augusta National would not hesitate to do so. New Masters chairman Fred Ridley addressed the issue on Wednesday.

“It’s something really that’s part of our culture,” Ridley said of traditional golf etiquette. “We believe that it’s important, not only here at the Masters, but in every tournament. I know there’s been some incidents recently, but we take that part of our policies very seriously, and we will always take action to make sure that all of our policies are enforced, including that one.”

On the first page of the Masters Spectator Guide is an entry addressing “conduct, customs and etiquette,” leading with a quote from club co-founder Bobby Jones.

“If golf, customs of etiquette and decorum are just as important as rules governing play,” Jones wrote in 1967, adding that “most distressing to those who love the game of golf is the applauding or cheering of misplays or misfortunes of a player.”

Augusta’s written rules state that “everyone should be treated with courtesy and respect,” “running is considered unacceptable” and that “unsolicited or consistent calls from the gallery are prohibited.”

A Monday report from a Scottish website claimed that security personnel were given a list of prohibited sayings that included the “Dilly, Dilly” cheer from Bud Light commercials. A Yahoo report debunked that myth, though shouting random phrases like “Babba booey!” or “Get in the hole!” would not be advisable.

Fans generally behave at Augusta anyway. Matt Kuchar cited his 2010 experience when Tiger Woods returned from tabloid scandal as proof.

“Certainly Augusta, I remember I played with Tiger his first tournament back from the Thanksgiving episode and expected to hear not-kind words,” Kuchar said. “And I did not hear one. It was just excited and polite. Augusta is unique in that manner.”

Golf tournaments elsewhere, however, are struggling to figure out how to attract millennial fans without crossing the lines of the game’s traditional decorum. When the game’s leading lights including McIlroy, Thomas and Woods are speaking out about it, it’s a very real issue. But at the same time, fans generate the atmosphere that in turn generates the revenue for the players.

“Every golf tournament, bar the majors, has to be a festival,” Padraig Harrington said. “We’re in the entertainment business. There’s got to be more to it than just, you know, 72 holes of golf. There has to be an atmosphere or none of us wants to go out there.”

CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz, who covers the Phoenix Open every year and believes that kind of raucous atmosphere is welcome in the proper context, agrees.

“We want the game to be attractive to a new audience but you have to be careful because there are certain traditions that the sport upholds,” said Nantz. “Silence over the swing, it’s always been there. That’s probably not always understood by people that don’t play golf. They think that’s just some archaic, stuffy approach to viewing sports. Because they’re seeing other sports arenas screaming and shouting over a free throw and you’re under the basket trying to influence history. For the novice golf fan, that’s probably something that’s lost on them and want to categorize it as golf is a sport that doesn’t get it.

“So it’s a fine balance. You want to draw people into the game, you want them to have a fun time while they’re there, but they should not be influencers in how the event unfolds.”