Golf Channel analyst Eamon Lynch has seen enough of major championship golf on Long Island.
Lynch unloaded on Long Island golf fans after the U.S. Open, saying they “do not deserve” another major championship following more complaints over fan behavior.
“Long Island golf fans are a stain on the game of golf,” Lynch said.
Lynch acknowledged there has been a “narrative” around Wyndham Clark not being one of golf’s most popular players, while also pointing to gambling’s growing role in the sport as part of the wider issue.
But he said those factors did not excuse what he believes has become a repeated problem when major tournaments are held on Long Island.
Fans were kicked out of Shinnecock Hills on Sunday for their brutal heckling of Clark, shouting at him, “don’t choke Wyndham” and “get in the bunker” during his title-clinching final round.
“This isn’t a New York problem,” Lynch said. “It doesn’t happen at Winged Foot, doesn’t happen at Baltusrol on the other side of the Hudson River. It happens on Long Island every single time.”
Lynch also brought up Bethpage Black, saying the PGA of America should reconsider bringing the PGA Championship back there in 2033.
Rory McIlroy and Team Europe were the targets of consistent taunts during the Ryder Cup this past summer.
McIlroy’s wife Erica Stoll, had a beer thrown at her on the course.
“I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy said following Europe’s 15-13 win. “I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people.
“That should not happen,” Lynch said. “These people do not deserve a major championship.”
The Golf Channel analyst said poor crowd behavior at Long Island golf events has become too “repetitive” and “predictable” to ignore.
He also took aim at fans trying to turn heckling into viral moments, blaming part of the problem on spectators filming themselves while targeting players.
“It’s the drunk crypto bros who buy a ticket with Daddy’s credit card,” Lynch said, adding that some fans have gone through life “without ever being stopped for something they’ve said.”
Lynch then suggested golf may need to follow Augusta National’s lead when it comes to policing fan behavior.
“Maybe golf in its entirety needs to take the Augusta National model,” Lynch said. “No phones, no tolerance, no second chance.”
Augusta National, home of the Masters, is known for its strict spectator rules, including its ban on phones during tournament rounds and its low tolerance for disruptive behavior.
Lynch’s comments added to the debate over fan conduct at major championships, especially as golf crowds have grown louder and players have had to deal with more heckling from outside the ropes.
For Lynch, the solution was clear: stop rewarding Long Island with major championships unless the fan experience changes.
