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Paige Spiranac Calls Out PGA Tour for Bizarre New Rule About Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau Beef

The rowdier fans out there have long lamented the absence of a professional golf organization that would allow them to chant, jeer, and cheer at the tour pros while they play. While that likely won’t happen any time soon for obvious reasons, the most recent development with the PGA regarding the Brooks Koepka/Bryson DeChambeau beef might be the last straw. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has outlawed the yelling of the term “Brooksy” during play. The decision came as a result of Koepka’s nickname being used to taunt DeChambeau recently.

Paige Spiranac, a self-proclaimed Instagram golf girl with more than 3 million followers, doesn’t approve of the ban.

The specific beef PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan targeted with the ban has gained plenty of publicity over the past year. There is no love lost between PGA pros Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. The two cannot stand one another. Just the mention of Koepka’s name is enough to break DeChambeau’s focus. And if you’ve never played golf, it’s an extremely mental game. This is why Monahan told reporters that yelling “Brooksy” would be an ejectable offense from here on out.

“The barometer that we are all using is the word ‘respect.’ And to me, when you hear ‘Brooksy’ yelled or you hear any expression yelled, the question is, is that respectful or disrespectful? It has been going on for an extended period of time, and to me, at this point, it’s disrespectful. And that’s the kind of behavior we’re not going to tolerate going forward,” Monahan said.

The taunting ban comes at a time when the NFL—golf’s polar opposite in terms of formality—is also cracking down on taunting.

Paige Spiranac’s Twitter Followers Weigh In on the PGA Decision

Whatever the case, Paige Spiranac makes a valid point in her tweet. No one—at least, no one reasonable—is saying people should be able to yell things while players are physically in their backswing. But there is a long history of fans yelling things ranging from incredibly offensive to outrageously hilarious following a player’s shot.

“Mashed potatoes,” for example. For reference, a short video compilation of the phrase being yelled is included below. It’s hardly a taunt. But it’s undoubtedly distracting. Does this count as disrespectful? Twitter seems to have the answers.

“Mashed potatoes is a positive comment on a crushed drive. Brooksy is a negative comment towards Bryson because people know he doesn’t like it. Awful comparison,” Nicholas Burgess replied to Paige Spiranac’s tweet.

“Not lame. It’s a form of bullying. Calling someone a name he doesn’t want to be called it’s bullying. It doesn’t matter if the victim is a millionaire PGA Tour player. Bullying must stop,” Juan Cruz Leyba wrote, taking a more sensitive approach to Bryson DeChambeau’s situation.