Brooks Koepka Says There Would Be ‘No Point’ Of Playing A Ryder Cup Without Fans And Somehow Not Everyone Agrees With Him

There is growing concern that the 2020 Ryder Cup could be played without fans. Since the idea was first presented after the sports world hit pause, plenty of players, including Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, have said they are completely out on the idea and now Brooks Koepka has joined the party.

Koepka, the No. 3 player in the world, joined Golf Central on Tuesday and explained that the fans are what make the event what it is. He made it clear that he doesn’t want to play if there are no fans allowed.

“I personally don’t want to play if there’s no fans,” Koepka said in the interview with Golf Channel’s Gary Williams. “I don’t see a point in playing it.”

“I get representing your country is an honor and it’s something that’s so much fun,” Koepka said, “but at the same time, the fans make that event. That’s what we get nervous on the first tee. You hear the chants. You hear everything that’s going on – the U-S-A- (chant), all that stuff. That’s what makes it fun.

Koepka is very clearly on the same page as McIlroy, who said: “a Ryder Cup without fans is not a Ryder Cup at all.”

The event is scheduled to take place Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, and while plenty can change between now and then, you can’t really argue Koepka’s bold opinion on the possibility of a spectator less event. Honestly, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single player that would be on board to playing a Ryder Cup without any fans.

While it’s tough to imagine Koepka’s comments here ruffling any feathers, a few fans didn’t see eye-to-eye with him and pointed out the massive amount of fans who watch the Ryder Cup on TV.

Koepka took notice of the tweet and hit the user with a spot-on reply.

The Ryder Cup could take place without fans, but it’s hard to imagine it carrying that same amount of intensity and drama without thousands of drunk fans shouting at players while creating one of the best atmospheres in all of sports.

The PGA Tour is set to resume play the week of June 11-14 without fans at the Charles Schwab Challenge, so we’ll get a taste of golf without fans prior to the Ryder Cup, but a PGA Tour event with no fans is far different than a Ryder Cup with no fans.

If you think this sort of moment happens at a spectator less Ryder Cup you are wrong.