Matt Fitzpatrick has confirmed his parents have not travelled to watch him at the Ryder Cup in New York partly because of crowd abuse.
Fitzpatrick and the European team are expected to receive a hostile reception from a boisterous home crowd when the contest against the United States at Bethpage Black begins on Friday.
The Yorkshireman, who is playing in his fourth Ryder Cup, was previously targeted at the 2021 event at Whistling Straits.
As a result, his mother and father have decided against attending this time, although their participation in the upcoming Alfred Dunhill Links Championship — in which their other son Alex is also involved — also influenced their decision.
“They didn’t have a great experience in Whistling Straits,” Fitzpatrick said. “That’s not a lie or anything or making anything up.
“But the other thing is, both my parents are playing next week in the Dunhill. They didn’t really want to ruin that experience as well, because that’s obviously special to have that.
“So it’s a combination. It’s a lot of travel, it’s obviously a busy week. It’s a tiring week.
“And then they obviously want to have a nice week as well.
“No denying that they had a bad experience in the past, but there’s no reason why it has to be like that this time.
“Obviously I’ll miss them this week for sure, but they are doing what’s best for them and that’s what’s important.”
Fitzpatrick himself, having already been booed during practice, is determined not to let any abuse bother him.
The 31-year-old said: “I’m from Sheffield, so that’s probably a good start!
“Like I keep saying, the fans are what make this event. They’re what make this event so fun, so special, and it’s obviously a great opportunity for us to come and try and play our best golf in front of them.”
Fitzpatrick announced himself on the highest stage when he won the 2022 U.S. Open, but his Ryder Cup record remains poor, having collected just one point in eight attempts.
He said: “It’s obviously frustrating, but all I can do is keep qualifying for the teams and keep giving myself the opportunity to improve on the record.”
