As Mateo Pulcini lined up the putt of a lifetime at Royal Birkdale yesterday, the crowd held its collective breath – and then erupted into cheers when he sunk it. The 25-year-old Argentinian golfer had brought a touch of World Cup drama to the course, emulating his hero Enzo Fernández's iconic celebration after scoring England's equaliser on Wednesday. With his hands raised to his ears in triumph, Pulcini became an unlikely focal point for the estimated 70,000 fans, who were initially warned by the R&A about crowd behaviour with a new code of conduct just days earlier.
The usually reserved golfers' fraternity was put to the test as Pulcini's tribute sparked a mixture of gasps and grins from his fellow competitors. But instead of jeers, the crowd responded with cheers – "Vamos!" even rang out among the throng – in a heartening display of sporting camaraderie that has been missing at some recent golfing events.
Finishing his round five over par, Pulcini beamed as he praised the fans' conduct. "I love it," he exclaimed. "It's part of the fun! The fans are something special – they were cheering for me too!" He also revealed a lighter side to golfing life, recalling a pre-football match chat with Matt Wallace about their shared passion for football.
The positive atmosphere at Royal Birkdale stands in stark contrast to the controversy that marred last year's Ryder Cup and the US Open at Shinnecock Hills. Scottish golfer Robert MacIntyre, who was targeted by taunts during the Ryder Cup, praised The Open crowd for their respectful behaviour: "The applause is consistent; there are no disruptive shouts – it's all about golf and enjoying the game."
But even as the focus remains on the beautiful game at this year's World Cup, a warning has been sounded by golf legend Tom Watson. Returning to Royal Birkdale 43 years after his final Open Championship victory, Watson expressed concerns that "awful" crowd behaviour seen elsewhere is not going away – and that mobile phone betting could be fuelling the problem.
Watson suggested an extreme measure: banning mobile phones from the course, à la Augusta. However, this has been met with scepticism by some who see it as an overreaction – after all, many fans use their devices for photography, not just betting wagers.