Two points: First, the NY area golf fans are notorious for their terrible behavior. Trust me; the players hate it. But they "say" they like it because if they bitch, the fans will REALLY light 'em up. It's golf, not basketball, football, baseball or hockey. They think that owning a ticket entitles to act like jerks. I'd leave room for the possibility that the U.S. Open and PGA Championship ditch the NY area in the future, giving those fans what they deserve. Act like that at Augusta and you're gone--also losing you "grandfathered" ticket status.
Second: Phil has used his popularity to make points on past issues (like threatening to move to Florida to avoid California's prohibitive taxes--just like other pros). I get Phil's point--if he was also making one. The USGA does not choose to learn from its previous mistakes that resulted in unfair course setups. Mike Davis, the PGA's course set-up guy missed his weather forecast. These players are "entertainer/athletes. I was not "entertained". In my view, it wasn't golf--it was Putt-Putt. I'm a P.G.T.A.Master Golf Teacher, playing better than scratch--when my back is not bothering me. But if the USGA offered to fly me to LaGuardia, chopper me over to this course as it is, let me play for free and fly me home, I'd pass. It wouldn't be fun shooting over 100.
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