Golf Channel’s Eamon Lynch did not hold back after the scenes at Shinnecock Hills, labeling Long Island golf fans a “stain on the game” following the treatment of Wyndham Clark and other players over the weekend.

Clark may not be the most popular golfer around, but Lynch believed what he and others, including Rory McIlroy, endured from the crowd was unacceptable. He also argued that the recurring behavior was specific to Long Island rather than a broader New York golf issue.

"Long Island golf fans are a stain on the game of golf. That's what we saw at Bethpage," Lynch said in a clip shared by Golf Channel’s X account.

"It's what we see every single time we go to Long Island, and this isn't a New York problem, which you hear a lot as well. It doesn't happen at Winged Foot. It doesn't happen at Baltusrol, on the other side of the Hudson River. It happens on Long Island every single time," he added.

Last year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage was mired in controversy, with players being heckled and even their families targeted, including Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, and his daughter.

European captain Luke Donald also accused American fans of “crossing the line,” and the behavior led to fan ejections both at last year’s Ryder Cup and again this weekend as spectators tried to put Clark off during his march toward a second major title.

Therefore, Lynch believed that major championships should not take place on Long Island and opposed Bethpage hosting the 2033 PGA Championship.

“These people do not deserve a major championship out there because we have now gotten to this era where it is so repetitive, so predictable as a component,” he added.

Kevin Van Valkenburg of The Fried Egg reported that a young fan was escorted out for shouting, “Don’t choke, Wyndham!” and chants such as “the bogeyman’s coming!” and “nobody likes you!” were heard on Sunday.

Clark, meanwhile, had his own thoughts on the situation.

U.S. Open winner on the Shinnecock crowd

"They definitely didn't want me to win. It's pretty rare in an (U.S.) Open Championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots," said Clark in the post-tournament conference after securing his second major. 

The crowd was backing Clark’s playing partner, Scottie Scheffler, who was going for the Career Grand Slam on his birthday.

Clark believed that his past antics, especially at Oakmont last year, were one of the reasons for the endless backlash. However, Lynch was firm that the crowd crossed the line.

What is your stance on Lynch’s statement? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav