Golfer Matt Fitzpatrick expressed concern that gamblers might attempt to influence tournament outcomes by heckling players during The Open. Fitzpatrick, a favorite in the upcoming tournament, highlighted the vulnerability of golf to such interference, especially given the sport's ongoing efforts to manage crowd behavior following recent incidents at the Ryder Cup and the U.S. Open.
Fitzpatrick stated that it would be particularly easy to influence a bet in golf through actions like shouting during a player's backswing or putting stroke. He noted that monitoring such interference is difficult, making it a significant issue for the sport.
"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 you're shouting on someone's backswing, shouting on a putting stroke," Fitzpatrick said. "It's really easy. Obviously that is hard to monitor, but it is definitely an issue."
He also commented on the broader problem of gambling-related abuse directed at athletes, citing messages received by footballers and tennis players who are blamed for missed bets. Fitzpatrick indicated that most professional golfers have likely experienced similar abuse.
"Just look at all the messages people get - footballers, tennis players, you name it, everyone's getting messages of, 'Oh, you missed that penalty; you cost me this. Oh, you didn't make a birdie; cost me this'," he explained. "I've had my fair share. I would say every golfer that's played a professional tournament has had a message of abuse from someone that is related to gambling."
Fitzpatrick drew a parallel to his own hypothetical scenario of betting on a sports team, emphasizing that personal disappointment should not lead to abusive messages towards athletes.
"You go and type in a player's name who maybe isn't playing well, maybe someone who's favoured to play well, and you'll just see their name followed by abuse after abuse after abuse," he said. "It's difficult because I've had 20 quid on England to win the World Cup, but at the same time, if it doesn't come in, I'm not going to send a message to Harry Kane and be like, 'Why did you play rubbish?' There's obviously individuals that have that problem."