‘Zero tolerance’: Open reins in unruly fans with new conduct rules

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

Following highly publicized incidents of spectators harassing players at the 2025 Ryder Cup and 2026 U.S. Open, the R&A is instituting a new code of conduct for fans at this week’s Open at Royal Birkdale.

Here’s what you need to know.

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

At Bethpage Black last fall, the European Ryder Cup team experienced constant, egregious harassment from some American fans on site, marring the event forever.

Then at last month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, fans actively rooted against winner Wyndham Clark throughout the final round, drawing criticism from players like Matt Fitzpatrick and Jordan Spieth.

Whatever the reason for golf fans’ increasingly bad behavior — be it social media clout-chasing, sports gambling or societal trends — the problem is apparent to anyone who watches golf.

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Back in April, even before Clark’s experience at the U.S. Open, R&A CEO Mark Darbon hinted that the organization was working on a new code of conduct policy for its championships, the Open chief among them.

This week at Royal Birkdale, the new policy arrived. In his Open Championship press conference on Wednesday, Darbon explained that the new rules are not a reaction to incidents from past Opens, but a proactive attempt to prevent poor fan behavior from impacting the Open in the future, as it has at other golf events.

“It’s something that we’ve been thinking about for a while. I’ve worked in other sports; we’ve had codes of conduct at venues I’ve operated before. We’re very proud of the way our spectators behave at The Open Championship. We think it’s a great reflection of both passion and support for the world’s best players but also respect for traditions of the game,” Darbon said on Wednesday. “We thought by codifying some of what we expect, it will help and support this championship moving forward.”

Known as “The Open Commitment,” the R&A’s new policy begins with an intro styled as a request of fans.

“The R&A’s purpose is to open golf to the world and it aims to stage inspiring championships by setting the highest standards for 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 preserving the spirit of The Open by showing consideration for their fellow fans as well as players, staff, volunteers and the local community throughout the Championship.”

10 new rules for Open fans

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

Among those five sections, there are 10 specific new rules concerning fans’ behavior toward players and each other.

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

1. “Remain quiet and still while players are preparing for and playing their shots.”

2. “Do not call out to players inappropriately during play or request autographs outside of designated areas.”

3. “Celebrate great play in a fair and sporting manner.”

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

5. “Mobile devices should be on silent.”

6. “Photography for personal use is welcome but must be silent and not disrupt play or disturb other fans.”

7. “Audio recording, video recording or flash photography of play is not permitted.”

The section called “Respect Each Other,” includes one bullet point that covers all kinds of “threatening behavior” with a “zero-tolerance policy.”

8. “The R&A has a zero-tolerance policy to any form of threatening behavior directed at players, officials, staff, volunteers or spectators – including but not limited to; foul language, sexual harassment, or any discriminatory abuse on the grounds of gender, age, race, disability, sexuality, or religion.”

And finally, the “Enjoy Responsibly” section includes one rule limiting alcohol consumption in the grandstands, and another that warns disruptive behavior may result in a fan’s “removal from the course.”

9. “Alcohol is not permitted within grandstands.”

10. “Behaviour 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 complete Code of Commitment here.