Unruly spectators and hecklers are increasingly disrupting play, as major champion Jordan Spieth warns that legalized gambling now poses a unique, direct threat to tournament integrity.
Legalized sports betting has changed how fans watch professional sports.
It's also begun changing the relationship between players and fans across several of the United States' biggest professional leagues.
According to 14-year PGA Tour veteran Jordan Spieth, it may soon force the Tour to address a growing problem.
Speaking ahead of this week's John Deere Classic, the three-time major champion said sports betting has become an issue that golf "is going to have to" tackle, citing recent fan behavior as a reason.
"I do think that betting in golf is something that's going to have to be tackled here soon," Spieth said Tuesday.
Spieth was asked whether spectators have become more hostile following Wyndham Clark's U.S. Open victory earlier this month.
During the final round at Shinnecock Hills, fans cheered Clark's mistakes, shouted for his shots to find bunkers, and, in some cases, were removed by security after crossing the line.
Unlike the NFL, NBA or even MLB — golf doesn't exactly boast a crowd loud enough to hide one well-timed yell.
Rather than simply blaming unruly crowds, Spieth suggested legalized sports betting may be contributing to the problem.
"I don't know how much of, say, the Wyndham scenario was the fact that it was enticing to bet the field versus Wyndham on Sunday in a legalized betting state," Spieth said. "And you could have had people out there that essentially have $100 to $10,000 on the field versus somebody else."
Suddenly, that four-foot par putt means a little more to everyone involved.
For Spieth, the concern is unique to golf.
Because spectators stand so close to players during competition, he believes fans have a greater opportunity to influence the outcome than they would in other sports.
"In golf, it's tricky because you could actually impact the outcome if you wanted to," Spieth said. "I don't know of another sport that you could impact as a fan like you can golf."
While Spieth acknowledged poor fan behavior isn't new, he believes sports betting has amplified the issue.
"I've also played rounds with guys who were not treated well 10, 15 years ago," Spieth said. "I will say that from what I've seen, a lot of times it has to do with betting, and that is in the last five years."
His comments come months after an influencer reportedly paid a spectator $100 to yell during Mackenzie Hughes' backswing at the WM Phoenix Open.
Both individuals were ejected from the tournament.
The PGA Tour currently has official sports betting partnerships with DraftKings and FanDuel.
While Spieth didn't propose a solution, one of the Tour's biggest stars made it clear that he believes the issue will need to be addressed before it begins to affect competition in a more meaningful way.
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