‘They shouldn’t be yelling in swings’ – Geoff Ogilvy speaks out after Medinah drama

Geoff Ogilvy has spoken out about the Medinah crowd after an American spectator shouted during Nico Echavarria's backswing – insisting fans should support their team but never interfere when a player is hitting a shot.

The International captain was keen to praise the vast majority of Chicago supporters, but admitted there were moments during Sunday's dramatic final day when the line was crossed.

The incident involving Echavarria came as the United States began to turn the Presidents Cup around.

The Internationals had taken a surprise three-point lead into the 12 singles matches, only for the Americans to produce a stunning 9.5-2.5 final session and win 17-13.

As the home team gathered momentum, so did the noise at Medinah.

One spectator shouted “Go Scottie” as Echavarria swung on the 14th tee, with the Colombian appearing to be put off as his drive veered right.

Echavarria, who was 3 down at the time, immediately turned towards the spectator.

But it was his opponent, Scottie Scheffler, who reacted most strongly.

The World No.1 confronted the fan and told him: “There’s no place for that.”

Scheffler then went one step further.

According to NBC reporter John Wood, Echavarria was over the green in three and faced a 30-foot putt for par.

Despite still having a birdie putt of his own to win the hole, Scheffler gave Echavarria the par putt.

“Pure touch of class from Scottie Scheffler,” Wood said on the broadcast.

The two ultimately tied the hole after Scheffler missed his birdie attempt from 20 feet. 

It was an extraordinary gesture given Scheffler had every opportunity to benefit from an incident that had put his opponent off.

Watch what happened here:

But while Scheffler's response was widely praised, Ogilvy believes the situation should never have arisen.

Asked about the crowd after the contest, the International captain made his position clear.

“I thought they should be yelling for their team,” Ogilvy said.

“They shouldn’t be yelling in swings.”

However, the Australian was careful not to condemn the Chicago crowd as a whole.

“I think for the most part out there it was great,” Ogilvy said.

“They took a while to warm their voice, Chicago, but they got there today.”

The atmosphere intensified as the Americans began their remarkable comeback, with the home supporters becoming increasingly vocal as the momentum shifted.

Ogilvy believes that is simply part of the appeal of team golf.

“When you’ve got a national team or your team gaining momentum on a day like that and you’ve got this many people and you’re hearing cheers everywhere, it’s sort of contagious,” he said.

“It grows and it builds. That’s just the nature of being crowds.”

But with the Presidents Cup heading to Australia in 2028, Ogilvy knows the Internationals will soon have home advantage of its own.

The next edition will be played at Kingston Heath, with the Australian crowd expected to create a similarly passionate atmosphere.

Ogilvy hopes they can bring the noise without repeating the incidents seen at Medinah.

“I would hope that we wouldn’t have any stories like Nico’s in Australia, but you can’t guarantee anything,” he said.

“Melbourne are great sports fans. Chicago are great sports fans.”

Watch Ogilvy's comments here:

Ogilvy's message was ultimately a simple one.

He has no issue with supporters making themselves heard or creating an intimidating home atmosphere.

But when a player is over the ball, the expectation should remain the same regardless of which team they represent.

Cheer for your team. Celebrate the birdies. Create the noise. But, as Ogilvy put it, don't yell during a swing.