Mateo Pulcini, the only Argentine in this year's Open field, sparked a moment of tension when he celebrated a 40-foot putt on the 18th hole by imitating Enzo Fernández's goal celebration from the World Cup semi-final against England. The 25-year-old raised his hand and cupped his ears, a gesture that could have provoked the 70,000-strong crowd under the R&A's new code of conduct, which threatens ejection for bad behavior. Instead, he received cheers and a solitary cry of 'Vamos.'
Pulcini embraces crowd reaction
Despite a few boos when his name was announced on the first tee, Pulcini finished five over par and praised the crowd's behavior. 'I love it,' he said. 'I really don't mind. It's part of the fun. The fans are something spectacular. They were cheering for me as well.' When asked which felt better—the putt or Fernández's goal—he chuckled: 'Enzo and Lautaro's goals, for sure. Today wasn't the best, so I'll take those two goals.'
Pulcini, who qualified by winning the Latin America Amateur Championship in January, sported Argentina flags on his driver cover, cap, and shoes. He declined to discuss politics after his team held up a banner reading 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas,' saying, 'I saw it, but I don't want to talk politics, just golf and football.'
No repeat of recent crowd troubles
Fears of a repeat of the misbehavior seen at last year's Ryder Cup and the US Open at Shinnecock Hills were unfounded at Royal Birkdale. Robert MacIntyre, who endured taunts like 'Eat another burger, Bobby?' at the Ryder Cup, noted the positive atmosphere. 'The Open crowd is the best every time,' he said after shooting three under. 'I didn't hear one shout off the tee box of 'get in the hole' or all the daft shouts you get.'
Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau saw only a man in a homemade Tiger Woods mug shot T-shirt as a minor distraction. Tom Watson, five-time Open champion, warned about betting-related heckling: 'Somebody is going to be on a cell phone with a betting app and yell in the guy's back swing.' He suggested an Augusta-style mobile phone ban, though most fans used phones for photos.
Watson stressed that the majority of fans and pros uphold traditional values. 'The kids see the pros coming off the 18th green, taking their caps off, shaking hands,' he said. 'That's a really good image for professional golf.'
