Open the door to unruly fans with new rules of conduct: ‘Zero tolerance’

Pro golf has experienced a growing problem with unruly fans in recent years. While other golf governing bodies have failed to act, organizers of the 2026 Open Championship are taking action.

After highly publicized incidents of spectators abusing players at the 2025 Ryder Cup and 2026 US Open, the R&A is introducing new fan behavior at this week’s Open at Royal Birkdale.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Open Championship’s new code of conduct: ‘Open Commitment’

At Bethpage Black last fall, the European Ryder Cup team encountered relentless abuse from some American fans on site, damaging the event forever.

Then last month at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, fans battled to beat Wyndham Clark throughout the final round, drawing criticism from the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick and Jordan Spieth.

Whatever the reason for golf fans’ bad behavior – be it chasing social media, gambling on sports or social trends – the problem is obvious to anyone who watches golf.

Back in April, even before Clark’s experience at the US Open, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon revealed that the organization was working on a new code of conduct for its competitors, the official Open among them.

This week at Royal Birkdale, a new policy has arrived. In his Open Championship press conference on Wednesday, Darbon explained that the new rules are not a reaction to the events of the Open, but a strong effort to prevent bad behavior from fans from affecting the Open in the future, as it has in other golf events.

“It’s something we’ve been thinking about for a long time. I’ve worked in other sports; we’ve had rules of conduct in the places I’ve worked. We’re proud of the way our spectators behave at The Open Championship. We think it shows love and support for the best players in the world but also respect for the game’s traditions,” said Darbon on Wednesday. “We thought that by combining some of our expectations, it will help and support this tournament going forward.”

Known as “Open Commitment,” the R&A’s new policy begins with an introduction written as a fan request.

“The R&A’s mission is to open up golf to the world and aims to inspire tournaments by setting the highest standards of a welcoming, inclusive and respectful environment and helping to create a memorable experience for everyone who attends. We ask every fan to play their part in maintaining the spirit of The Open by showing consideration for other fans and all players, local volunteers.”

10 new rules for open fans

The Open Commitment is divided into five different sections titled “Respect Players”, “Respect Links”, “Respect Each Other”, “Be Careful” and “Enjoy Responsibly.”

Within those five sections, there are 10 new specific rules regarding fan behavior towards players and each other.

Seven of them can be found in the “Respect Players” section, which appears first.

1. “Stay still and don’t move while the players prepare and play their shots.”

2. “Don’t yell at players inappropriately during the game or ask for autographs outside of designated areas.”

3. “Celebrate the good game in a fair and sporting way.”

4. “Follow the direction of event staff, marshals and security personnel at all times.”

5. “Mobile devices should be silent.”

6. “Photography for personal use is acceptable but must be quiet and not interfere with the game or disturb other fans.”

7. “Audio recording, video recording or light photography of the gameplay is prohibited.”

The section called “Respect each other,” includes a single bullet point covering all forms of “threatening behavior” with a “zero tolerance policy.”

8. “The IR&A has a zero-tolerance policy of any type of threatening behavior directed at players, officials, staff, volunteers or spectators – including but not limited to; foul language, sexual harassment, or any harassment that discriminates on the basis of sex, age, race, disability, gender, or religion.”

And finally, the “Enjoy Responsibly” section includes one rule that limits the consumption of alcohol in high places, and another that warns that disruptive behavior may result in “removal of the fan from the course.”

9. “Alcoholic drinks are not allowed on the highways.”

10. “Behavior that disrupts the experience of others will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the course.”

You can read the R&A’s full Code of Responsibility here.