Collin Morikawa acknowledged that the actions of American fans at the Ryder Cup “crossed the line,” but he doesn’t believe he was partly to blame for stirring up the atmosphere.
Two days before the Ryder Cup begins at Bethpage Black in New York, the two-time major champion said he hoped the opening day would be “an absolute mess.”
Over three days, the European players were subjected to frequent insults and derogatory comments from the gallery, jeers as they prepared for shots and even a beer thrown at Rory McIlroy’s wife Erica. The action was widely criticized, and PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague apologized to McIlroy and the rest of the European team.
Morikawa said Wednesday that fans had gone too far, but denied any responsibility for the contribution.
“I think you took what I said a little bit out of context,” Morikawa said. “I think the Ryder Cup requires a lot of energy, right? And I don’t think they meant it to be rude when I said the word ‘chaos,’ right? So I don’t think it’s my fault that people take credit for being rude. I think what I meant was I wanted energy, right?”
As tensions rose over the three-day Ryder Cup, the PGA of America increased security around the matches, and the European team withstood an assault from the American military on the final day of the singles match to win.
Morikawa was speaking ahead of the PGA Tour’s Bay Current Classic, which he won in 2023, in Yokohama, Japan. He said he didn’t believe he had the power to incite American fans with “one word.”
“I think fans can sometimes do what they want and say what they want,” he said. “Maybe we’ve crossed a line there and we need to draw a line. But what’s so different and unique about golf is that we have access to people so close to us that we can hear almost everything they say. I think we’ve got to learn how to find the distinction between what’s appropriate and what’s not.”
PA contributed to this report.