Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter has incredibly claimed he would like to taser American golf fans ahead of the Ryder Cup this weekend.
Four years ago at Whistling Straits, the Europeans were bombarded with abuse from the home crowd as Team USA ran out 19-9 victors. Such was the atmosphere in 2021 that even the travelling WAGs were subjected to ‘dog’s abuse’.
Little’s changed this time around, with a European team consisting of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick amongst others well and truly the pantomime villains at New York’s Bethpage Black.
McIlroy, quite clearly the home crowd’s main target, was loudly booed during his practice round on Tuesday while Rahm was subjected to a brutal cry of, ‘hey Rahmbo, where’s the Ozempic’, as he limbered up to take his first tee shot.
Former Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter, now 49, is one golfer who has had to contend with the hostile atmosphere across the pond on many an occasion having made seven appearances in the event.
He dubbed the abuse hurled at Team Europe as ‘complete and utter embarrassing stupidity’ this week as he reflected on his time playing in the Ryder Cup.
Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter has incredibly claimed he would like to taser American golf fans
Rory McIlroy was loudly booed during his first practice round at Bethpage Black on Tuesday
While fellow European Jon Rahm was subjected to cries of, ‘hey Rahmbo, where’s the Ozempic?’
Asked by SportBible to compare American fans with those in Europe, the 49-year-old replied: ‘I don’t even know where to start. I mean, “mashed potatoes” and all that f*****g b******s that you hear is madness. “Get in the hole”, it’s a f*****g 600-yard par five, you f*****g idiot.
‘I actually just want to borrow the taser from the security guard, just to get one go per hole would be amazing. Imagine that, you get one taser per hole. That’d be awesome. Right between the eyes, have it!’
When asked whether the heckling has gone too far, he added: ‘It’s not heckling, it’s complete and utter embarrassing stupidity. You don’t get that at the Open Championship. You don’t get it anywhere. It’s only in America the stupidness comes out.
‘Ah f***, it’s annoying. There’s no need for it, right? Our fans when they come to watch the golf are very respectful. I’m not completely dissing American fans because the atmosphere in America is amazing.’
It comes after British golfing legend Dame Laura Davies claimed the abuse European stars received in Whistling Straights went ‘too far’.
‘At Whistling Straits, it certainly went over the top. There was a lot of abuse to some of the friends and family of the players, which was not good, because they were their only support system, given there were no European fans at Whistling Straits due to Covid,’ she said.
‘I heard a lot of horrible abuse that was said to players, and that was in the middle of nowhere, Whistling Straits. Now we’re in New York, with the New York crowd. I hope it doesn’t go over the top, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s that bad again, maybe even worse.
Europe’s stars were subjected to a barrage of abuse at Whistling Straits four years ago
Poulter described the atmosphere across the pond for the event as ‘complete an utter embarrassing stupidity’
‘If the Europeans can get on top, they might quiet the crowds brief, but I’m not saying that’s necessarily going to happen. Maybe it’ll just make them even more vociferous.’
The competitive action at Bethpage Black is now just a day away.
Europe are bidding to become only the fifth side in history to win the Ryder Cup on American soil after winning the event two years ago in Rome.
It will be far from an easy feat however with Team USA boasting Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele.
