Jordan Spieth’s Right to Discuss Betting’s Dark Side, Even if FanDuel Pays Him

Notably, FanDuel’s odds are also integrated into the PGA Tour’s leaderboard.

Reining in Unruly Fans

Clark went on to win his second US Open at Shinnecock despite the harassment.

“I don’t know how much of, say, the Wyndham scenario,” Spieth said, “was the fact that it was enticing to bet the field versus Wyndham on Sunday in a legalized betting state, and you could have had people out there that are essentially, you know, have $100 to $10,000, depending on who it is, on the field versus somebody else.”

He added, “In golf, it’s tricky because you could actually impact the outcome if you wanted to. It may not last very long, but you could impact a shot if you wanted to. I don’t know of another sport that you could impact as a fan like you can golf.”

Unlike the NBA and MLB, golf has avoided a major integrity scandal to date, and the sanctioning body has deals with Genius Sports and IC 360 to monitor betting activities. That proactive posture extended to offering players and caddies new ways to report betting-related harassment earlier this year.

The onus is on the tour and course officials to police offenders outside the ropes, as was the case when multiple fans were reportedly shown the exit at Shinnecock.

Spieth’s Comments Draw the Ire of Critics

Unsurprisingly, Spieth’s comments generated a slew of negative responses online. As the first PGA Tour player to sign a deal with a sportsbook, he’s evidently not allowed to give his honest opinion on the downside of betting in golf.

Betting represents big business for the PGA Tour, and Spieth profits from his partnership with FanDuel. It can’t be all seashells and balloons, though, and the negative by-products of sports betting need to be addressed.

Human nature being what it is, you’ll always have some bad actors, but it’s a minority of sports bettors who act out at golf courses, stadiums, and arenas across the country.