Getty Image / David Cannon
Not only are the Americans having to deal with a rowdy crowd that’s mostly cheering against them at the Presidents Cup, they’re also having to deal with a bizarre fly problem.
They’re known as bush flies and they are absolutely everywhere during the warmer months between December and February making their way to Melbourne. They feed on sweat, so you can imagine they’re attacking anyone and everyone on the golf course.
These things are so annoying and prevalent that locals have called it the Aussie Salute when players swat the flies away from their faces.
It’s pretty easy to imagine how annoying these things are and they do seem to be frustrating the players. Justin Thomas even said that they’re ‘destroying’ him, according to Golf.
“Royal Melbourne is well known for the golf, I think it should be known for the flies first,” said Tony Finau. “I mean, you can’t get rid of them. They’re all over.”
“They’re destroying me,” Justin Thomas said. “I had on a couple today that were on my face and wouldn’t get off. It’s definitely something I’ve never experienced.”
Rickie Fowler on the other hand actually said the fly problem was worse a few years back during the World Cup and said that guys don’t need to rush into shots if the flies are messing with them.
“Don’t try and hit if one is bugging you, or putt. Sometimes that’s a little hard to do. They like to get close to your eye or fly into your ear, close to your mouth. But if all you have to do is put up with flies and you get to play this kind of golf, you can deal with it.”
The Americans had a rough go of things on day one in the four-ball matches and trail the International side 4-1 heading into foursomes.