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Collin Morikawa believes the U.S. Ryder Cup team will benefit from home field advantage if attendees at Bethpage Black bring more energy while watching the tournament this weekend.

“I’ll be honest, I think it’s kind of tame so far, Tuesday and Wednesday,” Morikawa said at the 28:15 mark of Wednesday’s pre-tournament press conference. “I know tomorrow is going to be pretty bad, but I hope Friday is just absolute chaos. I’m all for it.”

Morikawa continued, “I think it feeds into who we are, and the American players, and the American team. We want it. We want to use that to our advantage. I think every sport uses their home crowd to their advantage, and just because we don’t play in a setting like this… doesn’t mean we can’t use that to our advantage. I think we really have to tap into that.”

The 49th Ryder Cup is set to start Friday in Farmingdale, New York.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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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.”

Consider Collin Morikawa unimpressed, at least so far.

The American, playing in his third Ryder Cup this week at Bethpage Black, had high expectations for the notoriously boisterous New York crowds, which, in his opinion, haven’t lived up to their billing through two days of fans being allowed on site.

Luckily for Morikawa’s U.S. side, there is still time, with matches not starting until Friday.

“I’ll be honest, I think it’s kind of tame so far, Tuesday and Wednesday,†Morikawa said. “I know tomorrow is going to be pretty bad (Thursday’s weather forecast bumped the opening ceremony to Wednesday), but I hope Friday is just absolute chaos. I’m all for it. I think it feeds into who we are and the American players and the American team. We want it. … I think we really have to tap into that. I hope they come strong.

“Watching all these kids, I know they want autographs, but come Friday, I hope they go crazy.â€

When it comes to Morikawa’s teammates, he’s hoping for similar, especially from the usually emotionless Cameron Young.

“I would love to see Cam Young just throw a massive fist pump in someone’s face,†Morikawa said. “He’s a fiery competitor. I’ve known Cam for a long time. He’s been very stoic, right? We’re deep competitors. Whether you see that or not through the TV or through watching us play, he wants to whoop some butt. Yeah, I would love to see a nice little putter raise, undercut, fist-pump. … I don’t know if he’ll do it. He didn’t even smile after he won, so I’m hoping. Fingers crossed.â€

As for Young, who was raised in Scarsdale, New York, he called it the most people he’s seen on a golf course on a Tuesday ever. So, if they weren’t exactly raising the roof yet, he was confident they would be once the competition begins.

“I think they will bring a lot to it come Friday,†Young said.