Billy Horschel had already taken one drop on the par-3 15th hole, when he skulled his next shot over the green and into the water.
The eight-time PGA Tour winner was in no mood to hear it from a heckling fan.
Horschel fired back Friday at the spectator, who was removed from the grandstand by tournament officials at the Cognizant Classic at PGA National in Palm Springs Gardens, Fla.
Horschel had made comments earlier in the week about the golf course being “overseeded,” and apparently the majority of the heckling was based around that word.
As he reached into his bag for a replacement ball, Horschel turned around and was caught snapping at the fan, “Who said that? I mean, I guess you guys wanna make yourselves feel good about yourselves with a comment like that, don’t ya?”
The spectator also accused the 39-year-old Floridian of bad-mouthing the golf course earlier in the week, Horschel told reporters after finishing his round with a 2-over 73.
“Listen, everyone has been saying, ‘Overseed, overseed,’” Horschel said of the fan. “It wasn’t the first time I heard it today, but obviously in that situation, I hit a bad golf shot and they wanted to say it.
“It’s not a shot at anyone. It was just sort of commenting to someone who was taking a shot at the PGA Tour, and I sort of gave them a little more insight that it’s not always in the PGA Tour’s hands. If they want to try and do something, it’s not always in their hands to set it up the way they want to.”
Horschel spoke Thursday about the venue’s “overseeding” of ryegrass in recent years, a change from its traditional Bermuda grass.
He tallied a triple-bogey six on 15 after being forced to take another drop and a two-putt following his shot into the water.
“I’ve praised this golf course for many, many years,” Horschel added afterward. “If I didn’t like this golf course, I wouldn’t come here and play every year.
“I’ve enjoyed this golf course. When it’s benign, it’s gettable. When it’s the way it is the last two days with the wind blowing, it’s a challenge. I wanted to make sure I informed [the fan] on that. I said, ‘Maybe you should be more informed of the situation,’ and that was it. I walked back to the drop area, hit a shot and walked off with a ‘6.’ There was no more said.”
Horschel also said that he never requested that the spectator he jawed with to be booted from the tournament.
“I said, ‘I didn’t ask for him to be kicked out,’” Horschel said. “They said, ‘No, I guess he’s been saying some other stuff throughout the day,’ and they proceeded to just escort him out of here.
“Listen, everyone has a right to say things. I think there’s just a level of respect, understand we’re trying to do a job out here…I think I can interact with a crowd as much or as little as anybody out here. But I just think it should be respectful. That’s all I ask for. It’s not like I’m going to their job sniping off to them a little bit.
“But like I said, it’s fine. I don’t care. At that moment, I hit a bad golf shot, I questioned somebody, and the guy said a few more things, and I just said, ‘You need to be more informed on what I said.’”
Horschel also carded bogeys at 17 and 18, shooting 5-over for the final four holes to barely make the cut at even par overall.
“A fan affecting me out on the golf course will never happen,” Horschel said. “I affect myself enough.”
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