Matt Fitzpatrick Warns Betting Abuse Could Alter Golf Shots

“Every golfer” who has played professionally has received gambling-related abuse, according to Matt Fitzpatrick. Speaking before the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the English major winner warned that the problem is no longer confined to unpleasant messages online. In a sport where silence and concentration can decide a shot, he believes a spectator could deliberately interfere with play to influence a wager.

The Bottom Line

• Fitzpatrick says gambling-related abuse affects professional golfers both online and at tournaments.
• He warned that shouting during a backswing or putting stroke could influence a shot and therefore a bet.
• The R&A has introduced a new spectator code of conduct for The Open at Royal Birkdale.
• Tommy Fleetwood supports lively crowds but says the atmosphere must not cross into harmful behaviour.
• Players including Jordan Spieth and Wyndham Clark have also identified betting as a factor in worsening crowd conduct.

Breaking It Down

Fitzpatrick’s warning follows a run of hostile experiences involving players and spectators. He was part of Europe’s Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black last September, where the visiting players faced sustained barracking. He was also booed while competing against Cameron Young at the Players Championship in March and encountered partisan reactions at the RBC Heritage.

The 2022 US Open champion told reporters that social media makes the scale of the abuse easy to see. Searching for the name of a player who is performing below expectations can produce repeated messages from people blaming that golfer for a lost wager. Fitzpatrick said he has largely withdrawn from social media because personal attacks have become so common.

The more serious concern is what could happen inside the ropes. Golfers stand only a short distance from spectators, and a sudden shout during a swing can disrupt the movement. Fitzpatrick said that makes golf unusually exposed to anyone trying to affect the result of an individual shot or an in-play bet.

For me, it’s definitely becoming a problem and the issue is, particularly in golf, it would be very easy to influence a bet, whether it’s shouting on someone’s backswing, shouting on a putting stroke.

Wyndham Clark said players regularly hear spectators announce that they have backed them at odds such as 30-to-1 or 100-to-1. Jordan Spieth has also questioned whether betting contributed to the relentless heckling Clark faced while winning the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Why This Matters

The debate reaches beyond whether golf crowds are becoming louder. A noisy gallery can add tension and theatre, but intentional disruption threatens competitive fairness. Fitzpatrick drew a clear distinction between enjoying a football-style atmosphere and accepting abuse designed to intimidate a player or affect a financial outcome.

For British golf fans, Royal Birkdale provides an immediate test. The R&A’s new “Open Commitment” asks spectators to respect the players, the links and one another. Organisers expect about 300,000 fans, making enforcement and crowd culture central to the championship rather than a side issue.

There is also a complication in blaming betting alone. Sports betting has long been legal in Britain, yet several leading players describe Open crowds as among the most knowledgeable and respectful in golf. Rory McIlroy said British crowd behaviour has generally remained good, while Justin Rose praised spectators for recognising the quality of a difficult shot even when the ball does not finish close to the hole. That contrast suggests gambling may intensify abuse without fully explaining why conduct differs between tournaments.

What Comes Next

The R&A’s conduct rules will be applied throughout the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Signs around the course will remind spectators to respect players, the links and fellow fans, while attention will focus on how officials respond to heckling or attempts to interrupt shots.

Fitzpatrick, Fleetwood and the rest of the field still want an energetic championship atmosphere. The challenge is preserving that noise and emotion without allowing financial frustration, online hostility or deliberate interference to determine how players experience the event.