The rise of sports betting has affected and impacted every professional sport, and golf is no different. Jordan Spieth believes it might be getting out of hand.
In a press conference ahead of the John Deere Classic, Spieth spoke candidly about he thinks the PGA Tour might have a problem on its hands.
Jordan Spieth Calls on PGA Tour to Look at Betting Impact on Fans
Spieth wondered aloud whether fans heckling Wyndham Clark at the US Open might have been motivated in part by sports betting.
“I mean, I think the one thing I’ll point out is that I do think that betting in golf is something that’s going to have to be tackled soon,” Spieth told reporters in Illinois, per Golf Digest. “I don’t know how much say the Wyndham scenario is that it was enticing to bet the field vs. Wyndham in a legalized betting state, and you could have had people out there who essentially had $100 to $10,000, depending on who it is, on the field vs. somebody else.”
As Spieth noted, fans could theoretically affect the sport on the field — or the course, in this case — by how they behave on site.
“In golf, it’s tricky because you could actually impact the outcome if you wanted to. It might not last very long, but you could impact a shot if you wanted to,” he added. “I don’t know another sport you could impact as a fan like you can golf.”
Spieth acknowledged that it would be nothing new, saying he remembers players 10 or 15 years ago going through similar experiences. He pointed to the Ryder Cup and this year’s Players Championship as other unfortunate situations. While he admitted there was more at play in both circumstances, the betting influence could also have been an impact.
“I will say that from what I’ve seen, a lot of times, it has to do with betting, and that’s in the last five years. We’ll see what happens with that.”
PGA Tour’s Ties to Betting Could Make Change Tricky
Of course, the PGA Tour is no different from other sports in another way. The Tour has plenty of business in sports betting. The PGA Tour has or has had official deals with DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM. They also teamed up with ESPN in the past to launch betting streams for Tour events.
There’s even a DraftKings Sportsbook physical location on the property at TPC Scottsdale, where the Tour’s most rambunctious event is held every year.
Coincidentally, Spieth has also partnered with an operator. He became the first PGA Tour pro to partner with FanDuel back in 2021.
To be fair, even if the Tour or its players didn’t have deals with operators, it would be difficult to police fans who place legal bets. Of course, that financial incentive might make it less likely that the Tour takes an earnest look at the situation, regardless of what one of its most popular players says publicly.
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