The PGA Tour is currently in danger of losing some of its European members.
MORE: Jack Nicklaus: Tiger Woods' situation 'sad'
Heckling has become such a problem on the Tour in recent seasons that some of the game's best foreign players may just decide to head back to the European Tour.
Sergio Garcia has had to endure some heckling his entire career because of his stature in the game, some of his near-misses in majors and his continuous dominance over the U.S. in the Ryder Cup.
Yet, enough is enough, and Garcia isn't the only one nearing that point after the 17th hole at the Honda Classic got out of hand this weekend.
"I said to myself, 'This isn’t Scottsdale,'" American Billy Horschel said, via GolfChannel.com. “This is ridiculous.
"This is a great event with a great field on a great golf course. The last thing you want is players saying, 'Everything is great about this tournament, but that 17th hole is a little out of control.’ You don’t want to be known for that when you are trying to get top players, like Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and Adam Scott. You don’t want guys like that saying 'I don’t want to go there because that hole’s getting to be too much. They’re stepping over the bounds.’”
Almost every member of the European Ryder Cup team complained about excessive heckling at Hazeltine National last fall, but some of them went as far as to say the European Tour is just friendlier all the way around.
“Imagine if you’re trying to write an article and somebody’s shouting things that aren’t very nice in your ears?” Garcia said. “How would that make you feel?
“The Honda Classic is a great tournament. I love the tournament, and I love the golf course. I think it’s an amazing golf course, but it is what it is. Unfortunately, this happens a lot of weeks now in the United States. You have to deal with it the best way possible.”
Of course, players know what they are getting into when playing No. 16 at TPC Scottsdale. The amphitheater setup is one of the most iconic spots on the Tour. At the same time, fans have to understand that is not acceptable behaviour at a golf tournament, normally.
Garcia mentioned alcohol as a potential problem, even if there is more security.
"It doesn’t matter, because you can’t control things if there’s a lot of alcohol involved, even if you put a hundred police officers there,” Garcia said. "It’s great they’re trying to do something, but it’s just very difficult when you have people who have probably been there five or six hours drinking. You can’t control that. It’s just too hard.”
Danny Willett and his brother caused a lot of controversy during the Ryder Cup when Willett's brother wrote an article chronicling U.S. fans' flaws in a pretty descriptive light. Willett initially said he harboured none of the same feelings, but after a difficult three days, leaned closer to his brother's end of the spectrum.
So far, the PGA Tour hasn't had to worry. European Tour players continue to play and perform well in the biggest events, while also playing overseas for the flagship events over there. But the Tour does need to address this issue soon.
Golf is a gentleman's game that is ushering in a new era and a new-age fan base, but they still need to make sure the players are comfortable in between the ropes. It's essential to the sport's longevity.