PGA Tour fan favourite Jordan Spieth outlines issue in golf that "needs to be tackled soon"

PGA Tour fan favourite Jordan Spieth has raised concerns over the impact of gambling on golf and its influence on fans' behaviour towards players.

Over the last few months, some of the sport's biggest tournaments have been overshadowed by particularly unsavoury scenes outside the gallery ropes. 

Last September's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York descended into an abuse-fest whilst England's Matthew Fitzpatrick was also jeered as he attempted to defeat Cameron Young and Scottie Scheffler at The Players and RBC Heritage. 

Perhaps most depressingly of all, America's Wyndham Clark was also subjected to appalling treatment at the 2026 U.S. Open. 

During the final round at Shinnecock Hils, some spectators cheered when Clark made a mistake and directed several one-liners towards the 32-year-old that included "don't choke" and "get in the bunker!"

Clark ultimately prevailed, winning the U.S. Open for the second time but it definitely left a bad taste. 

"I think the one thing that I'll point out is I do think that betting in golf is something that's going to have to be tackled here soon," Spieth told reporters ahead of the John Deere Classic. 

"Because I don't know how much of, say, the Wyndham scenario was the fact that it was enticing to bet the field verse Wyndham on Sunday in a legalized betting state, and you could have had people out there that are essentially, you know, have $100 to $10,000, depending on who it is, on the field versus somebody else."

He added: "In golf it's tricky because you could actually impact the outcome if you wanted to. It may not last very long, but you could impact a shot if you wanted to. 

"I don't know of another sport that you could impact as a fan like you can golf. So I don't know how much that's having to do with it, if it's different than it used to be.

"I've also played rounds with guys who were not treated well 10, 15 years ago. I don't think it's a crazy new thing. 

"I do think the Bethpage Ryder Cup was, from what I understand, maybe a lingering effect from that with an American verse European. 

"You know, Cam Young, Fitzpatrick, The Players. I'm trying to single them out for you, but I wasn't a part of either one of them, but 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.

"We'll see what happens with that."

Perhaps those partial to a flutter may avoid betting on Spieth this week. 

The three-time major champion is chasing his first victory since the 2022 RBC Heritage. Still, Spieth is in a positive frame of mind.  

"I feel like right now I feel like I'm the best I've been in ten years or seven, eight years, whatever it is," he said. 

"It's not quite showing in results, and I'm certainly still making some mistakes and don't quite have all the tools, but I know what I need to do, how to do it."

"So when I go out to work, the grind, there's different levels of grind. There's grind when you are trying to search for something. 

"There's grind when you know what you're trying to do, and you're getting better each day, and that part is, like, as fun as anything. 

"It's as fun as winning a golf tournament. That's what I've learned. That's where I'm at now.

"Getting rewarded on the other side would be nice. I'm human. I'd really like the reward. I'd like the results. 

"But if I know that I'm working the right direction and I'm gaining freedom from that and I'm enjoying going out and doing what I'm doing, there was a time where that wasn't the case, and all I hoped for was to be in that position again, whether I won another tournament or not.

"So I'm very pleased to be there. Now I'm just frustrated at the lack of results for what I feel like I should be getting out of it based on how I feel my game is."

This is the final tournament Spieth will play before heading to the United Kingdom for the final men's major of the year. 

The Open is being staged at Royal Birkdale for the first time since Spieth triumphed in 2017. 

"I'm excited to see the new holes," said Spieth. "A lot of my most fond memories of that, especially final round. Those holes don't exist. I've heard really, really good things.

"It's a great golf course, an aerial golf course. One of the hardest venues we play in an Open. I'm very interested to see what it's like there.

"I joked with Scottie. I saw him in the locker room before he went out for his final round. I said, 'Well, are you the defending champ, or am I the defending champ next week?'

He was like, 'No, it's you.' I was like, 'No, no, no, you don't get to do that. It's you.'"