FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Through three days of practice rounds at the Ryder Cup, U.S. team member Collin Morikawa said Wednesday that he thinks the crowds at Bethpage Black so far have been “tame.”
“I hope Friday is just absolute chaos,” Morikawa said. “I’m all for it. We want it. We want to use that to our advantage.”
Fans have been allowed on the grounds the last two days as members of both teams have been preparing for the early start Friday morning. Morikawa, who is playing in his third Ryder Cup, has only played once on home soil, when the American team dominated Europe at Whistling Straits in 2021. But that tournament took place around the time of COVID, as the two-time major winner pointed out, which diminished the first-tee atmosphere.
“We had a crowd but it wasn’t as big as what they say it’s going to be here,” Morikawa said.
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The anticipation for what the Bethpage crowd would be like has been building since the venue was announced as host in 2013. The home crowd has historically given teams a big advantage, with host teams winning each of the last six Ryder Cups. The last team to win an away cup was Europe at Medinah Country Club in Illinois in 2012.
Morikawa said the U.S. team can use the “craziness of New York and the rest of the country that people are traveling in from” to their advantage.
“I think we really have to tap into that,” he said. “I hope they come strong.”
With the crowds slowly building these last two days, Morikawa has also noticed that some of the younger American fans have been wanting members of both teams to sign their memorabilia.
“Watching all these kids, I know they want autographs,” Morikawa said. “But come Friday, I hope they go crazy.”
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