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Rory McIlroy. Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm discuss state of sports gambling at events

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 8/23/23

We don't really know how all PGA Tour golfers feel about gambling on professional sports. (Well, outside of comments made about Phil Mickelson trying to bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup, that is.)

But the world No. 2 and No. 3 golfers, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, did discuss the matter of sports betting at golf events this week and both said there needs to be more rules in place to keep bettors at events from trying to impact the outcome by yelling at golfers mid-play.

"I feel like we hear it every single round," the Spaniard said on Tuesday ahead of the 2023 Tour Championship, via The Guardian. "I think the Tour maybe should look into it because you don’t want it to get out of hand, right?"

McIlroy agrees. "We have talked about this at the board and the [player advisory council] level for a few years," he said Wednesday. "And it is a bit of a slippery slope because I don’t think there’s any – maybe basketball and you can sit courtside – but I think it’s a different environment where people can really affect the play out here."

Max Homa yells at a fan who had a $3 bet on him to miss the putt and then gives the ball to a young girl. pic.twitter.com/2bSW9UQt1m
— Cork Gaines, Ph.D. (@CorkGaines) August 21, 2023

The issue of fans interfering to impact the return on their bets clearly isn't new. But it is on everyone's mind after two fans were ejected from last week's BMW Championship for shouting at Max Homa while he was putting. The fans were reportedly yelling at Homa and round partner Chris Kirk to miss their putts as part of a $3 bet.

Homa addressed the matter post-tournament, admitting he's fine with fans betting on golf but isn't fond of fans trying to impact the game.

"The biggest loser there is": Max Homa talks about the person at the BMW Championship yelling while at him and Chris Kirk while putting. pic.twitter.com/ZjUkm6zA7z
— Golfweek (@golfweek) August 20, 2023

Rahm admitted it will be hard for the PGA Tour to police all the fans who attend events. But the general consensus remains: Players want something done so fans betting on an event aren't interfering with it.

"I think [the PGA Tour] could look into it, but at the same time, it would be extremely difficult for the tour to somehow control the 50,000 people scattered around the golf course, right?" Rahm said. "So it’s a complicated subject. You don’t want it to get out of control, but you also want to have the fans to have the experience they want to have.”

"As long as it’s policed the right way, and as long as there are measures put in place for things like what happened to Max Homa not to happen," McIlroy said. "Because we’re all for people out here having a good time and being able to put something on an outcome, as long as they don’t feel like they can come here and influence that outcome. I think that’s important."

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