Not to speak for him but the only person who I believe went to the cup who posts on this board said the fans were NOT bad.
Well I wasn't on every hole, but was out there two days, around many tees and greens, and near the massive grandstands on #1.
Sure I saw waving hats and a lot of cheering, but nearly everyone I saw waving hats had a smile on their face.
I never heard anything as bad as one might hear at a Wasted Management event.
I saw far more creativity and imagination with songs and costumes than I saw poor behavior.
Surely some/most of these players played high school or college spectator sports where the crowd was more directly involved. I remember having my arms held, and the refs whistle swallowed, as I attempted to inbound a ball from a packed sideline in a gym with 2500 fans where capacity was 1200. Playing away isn't supposed to be easy.
I did see clapping/cheering for a missed putt, but in a match, I think of that as cheering for your guy/side/hole outcome, not negative jeering, and not mean spirited.
I mean if you're playing in front of 50,000 people, and can't stomach someone clapping or cheering when you miss a 10 footer, you're probably not going to win many away matches. I see that as cheering for YOUR team, not as cheering against you.
The home advantage was severely exaggerated by the abysmal flat zero energy start the US had on Friday morning, and any fan enthusiasm that was mustered for the afternoon was completely muted by their almost inevitable feeling fold on the late holes in the afternoon.
It was hot, and walking outside the ropes was brutal, and if the players couldn't muster any enthusiasm, why would the fans?
These guys are all incredible players, the best in the world, but the body language belonged to the Euro players, and this spread over to the fans and the American fans(including me-right or wrong) felt like there just was nothing to cheer about.
Call me a fair weather fan, but I call it like I see it.
The Cup was lost on Friday afternoon when we up in three matches, looking to claw our way back, and squandered those multi holes late leads into three ties,losing the 18th hole, which felt completely inevitable, in every match.
I will say Sunday around 3:00-4:00 local time there actually felt like there was a chance IF we could turn the last 2 matches, and some US fan energy emerged, but I'd say this had a lot to do with The American players actually looking positively engaged albeit for a brief moment.
Something was weighing on the players-no idea what it was, but they just looked down almost the entire time.
I just think the culture needs to change.
Tiger at Bethpage would be fine-he's Tiger,
then, for 2025 how about a new set of Captains who have never been on a losing RC team.
The more inexperienced the better(no negative energy), or give us Larry Nelson.
I mean at this point, why not try something different on the road?
As far as pay, I DO believe the players should be paid, but that may be an issue the players(on both teams) need to take up with their respective tours.
The PGA of America does now cut the PGA Tour in.
Regardless of my opinion on pay,(or anyone else's) anyone selected for the team should agree to accept the current arrangement as it stands at the point they accept their invitation to play. Or simply don't accept.
In other words, work it out over the next 18 months, and allow NO discussion of pay the week of the event.
We just looked so petty.
Put another way, would ANYONE have noticed if Schauffele and Cantlay had boycotted and been replaced by Lucas Glover and Keegan Bradley?
My guess is we might've had a different energy/vibe, but that's secondary, as the Euros played great, especially down the stretch each day, and deserved the win.