Mullets, drunken singing and F-bombs: The Ryder Cup is golf on steroids

The rowdy nature of the Ryder Cup gives the tournament a completely different feel than the Open. Credit: Getty Images/Richard Heathcote

It's safe to say that Sam Burns' haircut won't be the most egregious sin committed by Marco Simone Golf and Country Club this week. But his presence on the driving range set the tone for the week like no other in golf.

The Ryder Cup these days is golf, but not as we know it. This is golf with a mullet. The clash between Europe and the United States has become part stag party, part sports extravaganza, all on a massive scale. Fans dress up in wigs or armor. They get drunk and sing rude songs, like in Hollis at the Ashes Test at Edgbaston. The players cheer them on, whipping them into a frenzy as they hit one off the green, high-fiving each other Happy Gilmore-style. Organizers largely turn a blind eye to F-bombs. This is not Open.

Sam Burns wears a patriotic mullet in Rome

Monday was the calm before the storm. Workers were busy in buggies, completing the finishing touches on the stands, beer tents and concession stands. Hundreds of yellow and blue bean bags were laid out at Thursday's opening ceremony. It still felt a little rough and ready, but you feel it coming. The Colosseum is painted on the stands around the 18th green. You can imagine the roar when one of the European gladiators comes out on top to win a tense match.

The players flew in on Monday but remained largely under the radar. Viktor Hovland and Justin Thomas practiced chipping. Scotty Scheffler, who has had well-documented problems with his putter all year, was reportedly seen with renowned putting coach Phil Kenyon, which caused a bit of a stir since Kenyon is British and also works with players like Tommy Fleetwood. This could create an interesting dynamic this week. Sepp Straka and the aforementioned Burns hit the training ground, the latter sporting the aforementioned mullet, a look he decided to complete by shaving the letters «USA» just above his right ear. The 27-year-old debuted her modern haircut in an Instagram video last weekend. His post was accompanied by just one word — «America» ​​- plus a stars and stripes emoji.

When Rickie Fowler showed off a similar look at Gleneagles in 2014, it caused even more of a stir. What would they say if you showed up at St. Andrews looking like that? But these days, no one bats an eyelid. And certainly not Zach Johnson, the US Ryder Cup captain who defended his players' right to look the way they wanted. Brooks Koepka was also spotted sporting a new mullet at LIV Chicago last weekend.

The captains' press conference was otherwise rather dry, as is often the case. Neither Johnson nor his colleague Luke Donald are one for the hype. But it won't be like this for long. In the coming days, the players will train, fans will begin to arrive and the first chants will sound. The last time the Ryder Cup was held in Europe was in Paris in 2018, which was “Moly!” Moli-Moli! Moli-Moli! Moli-Moli-nari!/Tommy! Tommy Tommy! Tommy Tommy! Tommy Tommy Fleetwood! to the tune of 2 Unlimited's 1993 hit No Limit, which proved to be the most popular among the public.

European yellow and blue drapes stand

Some are skeptical of all the shenanigans, wondering what happened to the game. And this can turn into trouble. There were some very rude insults directed at Patrick Reed in Paris. But the atmosphere is almost always good-natured, and players tend to accept it. Reed, the pantomime villain of that US team, was memorably hissed by the crowd as he prepared to hit the winning shot in one of his matches in Paris. After kicking it out, he turned and pushed the crowd away before cheering for them and throwing the ball into the crowd. No hard feelings.

Reed won't be here this week. He is one of LIV's many outcasts. Europe has also lost many of its Ryder Cup stalwarts. There will be no postman. Ian Poulter, «the man who always gets results», won't be there to rock the crowd. Neither Sergio Garcia nor Lee Westwood. But other players will break through, cut their hair stupidly, write their names in the history books.

The Ryder Cup may be like golf on steroids. The modern version may not be to everyone's taste. But this is an extraordinary sight. Let the singing begin.