Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – Two thick, fleshy strong boys with knus polos and holstered pistols walked out, crates, to the area behind the 12th green Sunday of TPC Sawgrass. When they approached the hill, another security officer smiled at two of the main characters of the day.
“It’s the Bash Gebroeders!” The man joked.
The three of them waited behind the Green in the times before the game was restarted at the last round of the players’ championship after a four -hour weather delay stopped what looked like the running away moment of Rory Mcilroy. By that time, about two -thirds of the massive crowd left understandably, but those who decided to stay all day long? They were there for Rory. His gallery remained full. While the bus made McIlroy off to continue his round, the fans sang loudly: “Ro-Ry! Ro-Ry! Ro-Go!” They applauded the gap bird to take a lead of three shots. The majority of Ponte Vedra seemed to be pulling for McIlroy.
But that support was not the reason why the Bash brothers were there.
That nickname was earned, for all Heckers the two police officers kicked out of the players’ championship day. One or two officers follow every PGA Tour group throughout the year to act as security for the stars of the game. It is normal, ensuring that no unauthorized people enter the ropes and the crowd does nothing out of line. Most days they have no problem.
But by the time McIlroy became his approach to the 18th Fairway, one of the Bash brothers claimed that they had eliminated 15 people. Because, for a very miniscule, annoying, yet loud minority, McIlroy is now becoming a target for Hecking. How he deals, will tell us so much.
When McIlroy approached the 18th Tee on Sunday, before the lead to win the Tour selection framework, he looked around at the crowd. He scanned his head as if he were trying to take everything. And that crowd came up and roared for him.
Until a man shouted: “Take it in the water, Rory!” The crowd moaned. It was enough isolated that McIlroy certainly heard it. No problem, while he launched an absolutely beautiful draw around the curved fairway along the water. Towards the end of the day, McIlroy went on his way to a three-hole Monday play-off with JJ Spaun, one that he would win to leave to claim his second players.
But is it a challenge for McIlroy to coordinate those Heckles?
“Yes, absolutely,” he admitted.
“But I think when you are in business mode, you just try to keep your head down and mostly stay in your own small world.”
McIlroy is not new for fame. And he is not new to criticism. He is one of the larger lightning bars for discussion in sport, and he has heard (and historically laughed together with) every crack about his emptying losses in Majors such as the 2024 US Open in Pinehurst.
Until a week ago.
McIlroy played a Tuesday exercise round when he hit his Tee-shot on 18 in the water and shouted a fan of the young-like: “Just like 2011 in Augusta!” While his buddy filmed. McIlroy hit another Tee shot, and before he went to his ball he went walked to the fanHandle the phone from the friend who was filming and walked away. It turned out that the man who shouted this was Texas golfer Luke Potter, who won the amateur tournament in the city just a few days earlier. That only contributed to the bizarre nature of the incident. Security kicked Potter and his friend, but a third party filmed the incident, put it online and it went viral.
Seeing McIlroy in this way was surprising, and perhaps the light sheds on a deeper uncertainty of McIlroy. He can make jokes and laugh at Pinehurst. Maybe even the Open Championship 2022 or the 2023 US open. But that 2011 masters when he led four shots and a Sunday 80 shot to end up again? That’s the big one.
That reaction is human. It is recognizable.
There is only one problem. The reaction encouraged the masses. Or at least a certain segment. That is why the Bash brothers had such a busy day. Perhaps even more interesting, that’s why there was such a short belt to kick those people out.
Caddy Harry Diamond, on the left, advised a few guards to throw several Hecklers away during the Ronde Zondag van McIlroy. (Richard Heathcote / Getty images)
While McIlroy ran to Sawgrass’ Famous Island 17th Green, a fan shouted: “2011 Augusta, Rory!” McIlroy’s Caddie, Harry Diamond, called the Bash brothers and the fan was taken away.
We do not know what has led to every anecdotal example, so we can’t know for sure how bad each was. We just know that many of them happened. In its code of conduct, the PGA Tour has specific rules with regard to the behavior of fans, and a solid zero tolerance policy is needed when it comes to things like Hecking. In particular, it makes it clear that you run the risk of expulsion, for “rude, vulgar or other inappropriate comments or gestures or words or actions”, including “verbal or physical intimidation of players, caddies, volunteers, officials, staff, guests and/or spectators.”
The Tour does not seem to have a general fan problem. There was concern when gambling was legalized that this would lead to serious problems with spectators trying to scream during backspwings or otherwise influence the results. The tour did not see that happening, except for some tog a player to win their bet or complain that they have lost it (which is indeed a problem, but not too dramatic for one).
Most events take place without problems, but we also live in a new era of social media where it is common for some people to enjoy the chance to get a response and get some attention by posting it online. That reaction is everything. And although perhaps 40 years ago no one would know that it even happened, it now has the chance to become viral and to be seen throughout the world.
That is why Tuesday’s practice round was so consistent. McIlroy gave a target for that tiny minority. The 2011 Masters in Augusta. It is now his exhaust gate in the Death Star – Hecklers knowing that they can touch and see how the boom is going. Diamond is the one who evokes security for a stupid but in general harmless remark (“2011 Augusta, Rory!”) Alone confirmed it.
Because yes, the tour has a code of conduct, but it is generally the players or their caddies who act accordingly. Many players ignore every stupidity and then it disappears. McIlroy generally always had.
We see what happens when you die back. On Torrey Pines last month a fan told McIlroy to blame his Caddy, Diamond, for a missed well. McIlroy, always quickly to defend Diamond, told the fan to “close the f – k up.”
Former US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson was opened by noisy spectators on the 2024 WM Phoenix for the loss of the US in Rome, and he crossed and argued with them. That of course went viral. So two months later with the Masters – one place “Patrons” supposedly worn so well – Johnson made a mess of the 12th hole and heard sarcastic cheers. A hot microphone caught Johnson turned around and shouted: “Oh, f – k off.” He is perhaps the most consistent target for Hecking in Golf.
Before that it was Bryson Dephambeau, a top goal during his feud with Brooks Koepka. After a painful play -off loss against Patrick Cantlay at the BMW Championship 2021, a fan shouted the damage: “Great work, Brooksie!” And Dechambeau lost it. “Do you know what? Take the F – K out!” Deschambeau screamed.
Things were so bad for Colin Montgomerie that Golf Digest buttons made. (Stuart Franklin / Getty images)
It’s not all recently. Take Colin Montgomerie. In the early 2000s he had become such a target for it in the US it came to him. They called him “Mrs Doubtfire” and fooled his figure. And he responded. It bothered him so much that he threatened to boycott us. So on the US Open in 2002 on Bethpage Black, Golf Digest made 25,000 buttons to read ‘Be Nice to Monty’.
The point for McIlroy is that these kinds of comments will now take place. The passage line on all this is that spectators accumulate if they know they can make you angry. Impurition, alcohol and/or comic laziness lead to many generic guys think they are smart when repeating the same lines. That stinks, in the same way as someone who “potato puree!” After a tee -shot or “coming into the hole”, an approach quickly gets old.
The vast majority of fans sincerely love McIlroy. Perhaps that is difficult to remember when the negativity stands out. McIlroy plays the best overall wave in the world. He won his sixth DP world tour championship in December. He won on Pebble Beach last month. Add a huge players who wins on Sunday. This can be the moment of McIlroy.
Yet people will not change suddenly. And every outshoped fan or viral video of an angry reaction only delivers more fuel for the fire and the comments will continue. The Ryder Cup is coming, in New York of all places. All strength for him if he wants to respond like this, but the test will be how he plays in response.
On Sunday he brought Spaun back from a shortage of three shots to force a play-off. On the other hand, while the fan shouted “hit it in the water” at 18, McIlroy hit one of the nicer shots that you can touch. What answer he is more channel will tell us everything about his 2025.
(Top photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty images)