‘Becoming A Problem’ – Matt Fitzpatrick Calls Out ‘Ridiculous’ Gambling-Related Abuse Of Players

Matt Fitzpatrick believes gambling in golf has now become a serious issue and one that could start to have an impact on tournament results as crowds continue to get rowdier and more abusive.

It has long been a problem in other sports like football, for example, but golf and golfers had been mostly shielded from its impacts until the last few years.

Now, there are far more instances of fans shouting abuse at players and taking to social media to scold them for costing them money.

Fitzpatrick has experienced his fair share of abuse already this season. At the Players Championship in March, he was actively rooted against by the US crowds who wanted Cameron Young to prevail.

They got their wish on that occasion, but the Englishman got his own back a month later, silencing the pro-American fans at Harbour Town to win the RBC Heritage.

Asked ahead of this week’s Open at Royal Birkdale if he thinks gambling is the source of this worrying trend, Fitzpatrick was in no doubt.

“It's a great question because you just look at all the messages people get,” Fitzpatrick began, “footballers, tennis players, you name it, everyone's getting messages of, ‘Oh, you missed that penalty – you cost me this. Oh, you didn't make a birdie – cost me this’.

“I've had my fair share. I would say every golfer that's played a professional tournament has had a message of abuse from someone that is related to gambling. I mean, you could see it this week.

“You go and type in a player's name who maybe isn't playing well, maybe someone who's favoured to play well, you type the name into Twitter (X) and you'll just see their name followed by abuse after abuse after abuse.

“It's difficult because I've had 20 quid on England to win the World Cup, but at the same time, if it doesn't come in, I'm not going to send a message to Harry Kane and be like, ‘Why did you play rubbish?’ There's obviously individuals that have that problem.

“For me, it's definitely becoming a problem and the issue is, particularly in golf, it would be very easy to influence a bet, whether it's you're shouting on someone's backswing, shouting on a putting stroke. It's really easy. Obviously that is really hard to monitor, but it is definitely an issue.”

Golf has always been held in high esteem in regard to the way players and fans behave and carry themselves, so this recent development goes against centuries of tradition.

At The Open this year, the R&A have introduced a new code of conduct for the 300,000 spectators set to descend upon Royal Birkdale across the week.

Specifically, there will be on-course signs reminding fans to respect the players, the venue, each other, and enjoy the event responsibly.

"The atmosphere at The Open is unlike any other major sporting event and one of the things that makes it so unique," Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A chief, said.

"It is built on a shared respect for the players, the course, fellow fans and the traditions of the Championship."

Fitzpatrick, himself a big Sheffield United fan, believes there are positives to the louder atmospheres on tour, but thinks it’s “ridiculous” when it spills over to become more sinister.

“I'm all for the game developing and bringing in different people,” he added.

“I want an atmosphere at a golf tournament. I've said a million times, I love football. I love the atmosphere of a football match. Playing Harbour Town this year, playing Harbour Town in 2023, that's the atmosphere I want. There's nothing better.

“[The] Ryder Cup, playing away from home, succeeding in those atmospheres, there's not a much better feeling. I think like I'm all for an atmosphere. Obviously I don't want it to cross a line.

“I don't do any of my social media anymore. I've stayed off of it just because I have my own private accounts elsewhere, but I don't go looking for anything. I don't think the social media companies do a good job of managing that stuff. That's obviously a bigger conversation.

“Like I said, you just search my name, Tommy [Fleetwood’s] name, anyone's name, and you will find just tweet after tweet just straight abuse. It's not right. I'm not going into someone's office or in their e-mails abusing them.

“I would say a lot of it comes down to the gambling. You see that a lot on the social media of, ‘Oh, this guy's favoured this week. Make sure you lump on him and duh, duh, duh. That's obviously not conducive to a great atmosphere.

“When you're getting personally attacked, it's just ridiculous.”