Remember the Rory McIlroy vs. Patrick Reed match from the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine?
It was an electric atmosphere, one in which you could feel the emotion of the players and the spectators through the TV.
Now, imagine that match without fans.
“Nobody wants to see the Ryder Cup played without the fans being there,” said 2020 European captain Padraig Harrington on BBC Radio. “There’s no doubt that it makes the tournament so much better. I think the common consensus now is the Ryder Cup will not be played unless the fans are there.”
“Non-golfers and golfers around the world watch the Ryder Cup because of the tension that’s created by the spectators,” he added.
The 2020 event is still slated for September 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, one week after the U.S. Open in golf’s revised schedule. The three-time major champion and six-time member of Team Europe also said discussions with Ryder Cup organizers about postponing the event took place before the plan was set in motion to keep its slot on the fall schedule.
Harrington still hopes the Europeans get the chance to defend their title later this year and he knows the joy the event will bring. That said, he also knows there’s a bigger picture to be seen and “there are bigger things, too, than the Ryder Cup.”
