Then there’s the increasing number of incidents involving aggrieved punters shouting at players mid-shot to try to directly affect wagers they have made for or against the individual. Max Homa and Chris Kirk were heckled by gamblers trying to get them to miss crucial putts in the third round of the BMW Championships at Olympia Fields last month.
“We’ve talked about this at the board and the PAC [Player Advisory Council] level for a few years,” said Rory McIlroy last month. “And it is a bit of a slippery slope because ... I think it’s a different environment where people can really affect the play out here. We’re all for people out here having a good time and being able to put something on an outcome, but as long as they don’t feel like they can come here and influence that outcome, I think that’s important.
Like every other sport, golf was probably blinded by the dollar signs. Since 2018, sports betting has been legalised in 34 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and has exploded to such an extent that Americans wagered nearly $60bn in just the first six months of this year. It is impossible to watch any sporting encounter now without being bombarded by relentless ads, many providing live betting opportunities, all from companies offering the first hit for free.
The burgeoning gambling addiction crisis here, especially an issue among young men and high school teens, is already being compared by experts with the opioid epidemic. The on-course heckling is only going to get worse as some estimates reckon as many as 20 million Americans are problem gamblers and numbers seeking treatment are skyrocketing.
There’s a serious public debate to be had about what is doing more damage to professional sport right now, gambling corporations or Saudi sportswashing. Golf, like football, is in the unique position of being able to boast about putting itself at the mercy of both.