I love the Ryder Cup, but I fear that it will become just another golf tournament if people continue to moan about some of the aspects that make it uniquely brilliant.
The Ryder Cup lowers the bar of traditional golfing etiquette to create magical moments and unmissable drama, which are fuelled by the tense, but friendly rivalry that the fans and players feel comfortable to stoke.
The crowd is a contentious but key factor. The vast majority are enthusiastic, vibrant and fun. Like anyone else, I wince with each shout of “Mashed Potatoes!”, but if those shouts encourage fans to contribute to the iconic Ryder Cup galleries, then I’m okay with it.
The chant of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” could do with a freshen up too, as it isn’t exactly the most original lyrical masterpiece.
However, the chant that which rings out at Stamford Bridge during every Premier League home game of “Chelsea… Chelsea… Chelseaaaa” probably won’t be winning us Europeans a Grammy nomination any time soon either.
The crowd outfits are a highlight for me. The Americans have their bold Red, White and Blue flag inspired costumes, which are matched by the classic European waistcoat and kilt ensembles or a suitably coloured blue and yellow Banana-man suit.
The booing of player announcements isn’t my personal cup of tea, but equally I don’t really mind it. There are two types of boos after all. There are hateful, aggression-filled, xenophobic boos and there are pantomime villain boos. The Ryder Cup boos are certainly the latter.
I laugh when I see Tommy Fleetwood’s cheeky wry smile as he takes his greeting with the jest it is intended to be. I don’t feel the need to take to Twitter to lambast the Americans for disrespect.
Let’s also not forget how much the European fans booed Patrick Reed throughout his rounds at Gleneagles in 2014, because he refused to dance for the fans at the first tee.
The boos were so constant that it prompted that iconic image of him putting his finger to his lips and shushing the crowds. I didn’t find that a disgrace either, I found it funny.
It became an iconic image like Ian Poulter dancing around dressed as a post-box in Paris or Paul McGinley jumping in the lake at the Belfry or indeed, Daniel Berger and Justin Thomas chugging beers for the crowds at Whistling Straights this past Saturday afternoon.
The informal shouts, chants, fancy dress, boos, player antics and over the top celebrations all add to the rivalry which elevates the occasion. There will always be the odd fan who takes it too far, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better behaved 200,000-plus crowd at any other sport.
Traditionalists will tell you that they fear the Ryder Cups antics will spill over into golf’s other tournaments - but they must have short memories. The Ryder Cup has always had its quirks, yet the wonderful traditionalism of the other tournaments has remained.
The Ryder Cup and all its informalities should be celebrated for being different, rather than criticised it for not being more of the same. I hope it never changes.
