USA captain Steve Stricker says it would be a crime to host the event without fans
Is This The Final Nail In The Coffin For A Fan-Less Ryder Cup?
Steve Stricker may have put the final nail in the coffin for a fan-less Ryder Cup, after calling the prospect of the match without crowds "a crime."
Stricker is captaining the USA in his home state of Wisconsin at Whistling Straits, and these comments will surely put a huge dent in the PGA of America's plans to go ahead with the match.
Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka have all spoken out against a Ryder Cup without fans, but Stricker's comments, as a home Ryder Cup captain, will surely end hopes of the event taking place on an empty Whistling Straits.
“To cheat out the Wisconsin fans, I think, would be a crime,” Stricker said on the Golf Affect Show on a Wisconsin radio station.
“This event is made by the fans. To me, if it was without fans, it would be a yawner… So I just hope that when we do have it, it can be up to its full potential.”
As well as the home Wisconsin fans, European fans will almost certainly not be travelling to Wisconsin come September even if travel restrictions are lifted.
The tournament organisers have a huge decision on their plate, but it is looking increasingly likely that their decision will be to push the match back to 2021.
There have been very few announcements on what will happen to this year's Ryder Cup, but it is likely that the decision has already been made.
European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley told the McKellar Golf Podcast that we'll know by the end of the month.
Rory McIlroy said late last month that he thinks the Ryder Cup will be postponed.
“My personal hunch is that I don’t see how it is going to happen, so I do not think that it will happen,” he told BBC Sport NI.
“I think the majority of players would like to see it pushed back until 2021 so that they can play in front of crowds and have the atmosphere that makes the Ryder Cup so special.
“The players are the ones that make the Ryder Cup. If they are not on board with it and don’t want to play then there is no Ryder Cup.
“I see it being pushed back until 2021 and, honestly, I think that will be the right call.”
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