Ryder Cup: Team USA Warned of Abuse From Home Crowd Over $500K Pay

In just one week, golf’s fiercest rivalry returns to American soil with Team Keegan Bradley, Team Luke Donald, and this time, it’s New York at Bethpage Black.

The course is well known for its noisy, unapologetic fan, and Team Europe has already taken steps to prepare for the chaos.

Players have been armed with a personalized VR headset loaded with crowd noise and verbal abuse tailored to each individual.

But, turns out, Team USA may not be safe from scrutiny either.

According to Former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart, who famously faced Tiger Woods in singles at Brookline in 1999, the American squad could face backlash from their own fans if things start to go wrong early.

Especially this year, with the added pressure of being paid to play in an event that has sparked debate in the golf world ever since the idea was first proposed.

Each member of Team USA will receive $500,000. Of that, $300,000 is designated for charity, while the remaining $200,000 is a personal stipend.

And Coltart isn’t convinced the payout will help.

“What does the $200,000 do to them?” the veteran told bunkered.co.uk. “Is that going to make you a little bit more determined to do a little bit extra practise in the morning or what? I don’t get it. Potentially it could harm them. Again, as it pretty much did in 1999 when I played.”

He recalled how payment demands stirred controversy back then and fears history could repeat itself. This time, he believes the New York crowd won’t hesitate to turn on their own if expectations aren’t met.

“They wanted £100,000 and, you know, the punter who pays to go and watch the Ryder Cup, they want their team to just absolutely give it their all. They deflected that by saying, oh, well, ‘it’s for charity’. So, OK, fine. But now, again, they have to get this sort of financial remuneration for it, which I guess is the difference between Europe and America. If they’re getting paid and they don’t turn up, good God, you know, the New York crowd will go after them.”

Coltart didn’t hold back when it came to the pressure Bradley’s team could face.
“It could almost turn into an away game for them. If they don’t get off to a fast start, you know, and you can see the headlines, you know, if so-and-so doesn’t play that well or gets beaten by a pairing that they expect they should have won, the American crowd in that area are going to try and eat them alive.”

It’s not just the players being cautioned.

According to reports, Team Europe WAGs have been advised to stay off the course during play. With emotions expected to run high, the Bethpage crowd won’t be holding back when pressure hits.

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