[PHOTO: Vaughn Ridley]
It must be stated bluntly, as a result of it’s the reality: the predominantly Canadian crowd at Royal Montreal for the Presidents Cup was embarrassingly flat on Day 1. Like, praying in church silent. Alone in Loss of life Valley quiet.
Past a few thousand folks in grandstands on the primary tee, cheering dutifully however not passionately to an MC’s hype, the gallery appeared not a lot greater than a mid-level PGA Tour occasion, and the vitality couldn’t match these at locations resembling Hilton Head or TPC Deere Run.
Canadians are famend for being well mannered, however this appeared extra like unusual indifference, contemplating a good portion of the nation loves golf and will take delight in getting such worldwide consideration.
Perhaps they thought they had been attending a golf event as an alternative of a crew tangle that embraces cheap raucousness. In comparison with the Ryder Cup, the primary day was like enjoying and watching golf in a leafy mausoleum.
And don’t take our phrase for it. A few the Worldwide gamers’ wives would agree. In reality, we’d wager it was going to be a dialog at dinner, and perhaps even within the crew room.
The very best instance of the frustration got here as Match 1 was being performed on the again 9. Jason Day and Ben An didn’t lead after the primary gap of their eventual loss to Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau, 1 up, and so they trailed by two holes whereas making their approach up the par-4 14th fairway. In a cart close to the sting of the golf green, and in entrance of a followers in a hospitality tent and on the ropes, wives Ellie Day and Jamie An tried to begin a chant for his or her guys. “I-N-T! I-N-T!” they yelled whereas pumping their fists. This, as Worldwide captain Mike Weir and his spouse drove shut by.
Response: a few half-hearted responses. Cheerleaders at a high-school soccer recreation do much better. And worse, one fan, within the silence, screamed “U-S-A!” aggressively again at them.
“What the f–ok?” was the disgusted response to the apathy by somebody within the Worldwide entourage.
Two holes later, there was loads to cheer as a result of the match was tied after the Internationals received the fifteenth with a birdie and noticed the People miss shortish par putts at 16. However then Schauffele stuffed his tee shot shut on the par-3 seventeenth to make a birdie for the US to retake the lead.
Once more, because the groups headed to their vital 18th tee pictures, the Worldwide WAGS tried to get the group going. Once more, the response was murmurs. “That is lame,” stated a spouse, seemingly now resigned to the library vibe. One other participant member of the family was extra animated. “Weak crowd! I want extra!” he exclaimed within the course of the grandstand.
Shocking stuff. Can the Internationals blame the gallery for already getting smoked by the US? Most likely not. However ought to we be disillusioned in Canadians treating this like a membership curling? Completely.
Hosers? Strive Snoozers.