Everyone, pray for Martin Dempster.
The Scotsman’s golf correspondent will be subjected to the inevitable mindless millennial rage after daring to suggest the unthinkable in two different pieces: the downturn on decorum—a.k.a. Live Under Par 3.0—is out of hand.
He’s writing in a follow up story of the Wasted Open scene where fans heaved nearly full beers onto the 16th green after hole-in-ones by Sam Ryder and Carlos Ortiz. And even kept throwing them as crews were out trying to return the hole to playability. Of course, in any other sport, this would lead to ejection but in the latest and most embarrassing cry of desperation to lower that viewing demo, the behavior was not discouraged.
Dempster writes this “simply can’t be allowed to happen again.”
It’s a disgrace that the tournament organisers have not come out and condemned such behaviour at a golf event and don’t give me that nonsense about “golf had a brief glimpse of a crowd and players having fun”.
“Refine rather than reject” was the suggestion from another person to comment on the hot topic and that just about hits the nail on the head.
Bottles and cans should be instantly banned at next year’s event and plastic cups be used instead for that consumption of alcohol, which is clearly part of why so many people want to be around that green in the first place.
Yes, but Martin, they’re demo-friendly, party-hearty, ASU-almost-grads living at mom and dad’s house and most vicariously through overpriced brewskies. A.k.a. the coveted demo! So what if someone gets hit and loses an eye? Or suffers a brain injury? It’s like, you know, young fans who, like, think it’s so dope!
The Open, of course, is another perfect illustration of how golf events have evolved and the same goes for the Women’s Open and the Scottish Opens.
Now, I do have to point out to my fine colleague in golf writing how The Open has put too much hospitality on the 18th holes at some of its championships and disconcertingly close to play. A crazed, pint-holding drunk attempted to interfere with Tiger’s final tee shot at Carnoustie in 2018, only to not be ejected or made an example of. But continue…
Yes, the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale can continue to be something different in the game and appeal to people who might not necessarily follow golf on a regular basis.
But it’s never going to grow golf and, make no mistake, will do more harm than good if Saturday and Sunday is a sign of what we can expect there going forward.
Oh it’s here to stay. Just with chicken wire around the grandstands next year and really good WiFi so you can gamble on the madness. Live Under Par lives, baby!