Rory McIlroy: PGA Tour 'Need To Limit Alcohol Sales'

The four-time major winner says alcohol is the problem when it comes to rowdy crowds

Rory McIlroy: PGA Tour 'Need To Limit Alcohol Sales'

The four-time major winner thinks alcohol is the root problem of crowd trouble at PGA Tour events

Rory McIlroy: PGA Tour 'Need To Limit Alcohol Sales'

Rowdy PGA Tour crowds are getting a lot of headlines recently, with world number two Justin Thomas recently calling them "unacceptable" and Rory McIlroy saying that crowds cost Tiger Woods two strokes per tournament.

The four-time major winner won the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week at Bay Hill and he made another comment about PGA Tour crowds and their behaviour.

McIlroy was speaking to the media after the third round and said he almost confronted a man who was screaming his wife's name.

"There was one guy out there who kept yelling my wife's name; I was going to go over and have a chat with him, but, yeah, I don't know, I think it's gotten a little much, to be honest," he said.

And the root problem according to McIlroy? Alcohol.

"I think that they need to limit the alcohol sales on the course, or they need to do something, because every week it seems like guys are complaining about it more," he said.

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"I know that people want to come and enjoy themselves and whatever, and I'm all for that, but it's, sometimes when the comments get personal and people get a little bit rowdy it can get a little much," McIlroy said.

"I don't know, it used to be like you bring beers on to the course or buy beers, but not liquor. And now it seems like everyone's walking around with a cocktail or whatever. So I don't know whether it's just go back to letting people walk around with beers in their hand, that's fine, but, I don't know."

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The 14-time PGA Tour winner was then asked about the crowds at TPC Scottsdale for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, "a lot of tournaments see how successful Phoenix is and they want to try to replicate that, which is great, it's great for the tournament, it's great for us, but golf is different than a football game and there's etiquette involved and you don't want again like you don't want people to be put off from bringing their kids when people are shouting stuff out.

You want people to enjoy themselves."

Here are Justin Thomas' comments from last month's Genesis Open at Riviera:

“It was pretty wild this first couple days. It was alright for a little bit today, but there at the end it got a little out of hand,” he said.

“I guess it’s a part of it now, unfortunately. I wish it wasn’t. I wish people didn’t think it was so amusing to yell and all that stuff while we’re trying to hit shots and play.

“But when people are now starting to time it wrong and get in people’s swings, is just completely unacceptable really.

“I guess they just think it’s funny."

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV