“This tournament has been inappropriate,” Zach Johnson BLASTS fan behavior at WM Phoenix Open

Zach Johnson clashed with fans at the Waste Management Phoenix Open after being heckled during his final round.

“This tournament has been inappropriate,” Zach Johnson BLASTS fan behavior at WM Phoenix Open

Zach Johnson [Image Credit: Imago]

Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion was involved in a heated exchange with a reporter during the third round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Saturday. The incident occurred after fans were seen playing in mudslides on the 16th hole; a par-3 that is known for its raucous atmosphere.

With Sunday’s final round, at the end of this week, Johnson finished a level-par 71. It was reported that the fans were conversing about his poor performance in the last Ryder Cup tournament. Their bickering resulted in Johnson shouting, “I’m just sick of it! Shut up!”

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The incident at the Waste Management Phoenix Open is just the latest example of the growing problem of fan behavior in golf. In recent years, there have been several incidents of fans heckling players, even throwing objects at them.

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After this incident, he was asked about his confrontation with the crowd. About the atmosphere and whether the crowd had crossed their limit. The response from Johnson was quite blunt as he said “This tournament has been inappropriate and crossed the line since I’ve been on tour and this is my 21st year.”

Johnson wasn’t the only one to call out the hecklers, as Billy Horschel had a run-in with a fan in Phoenix. Horschel chided the fan for talking during the round about his playing partner Nick Galletti. “Buddy, when you’re over a shot, just shut up, dude,” Horschel said. “He’s trying to hit a golf ball here – that’s our job.”

Nick Taylor clinches 2024 WM Phoenix Open

The Waste Management Phoenix Open was held between February 8th to 11th February. It was filled with weather disruptions, and behavior issues of fans, but eventually ended with a thrilling playoff victory.

Nick Taylor ( image by MSN )

The Phoenix Open is well known for its terrific atmosphere, with crowds in huge number and enthusiastic (sometimes rowdy) fans. However, this year, some questioned whether the party environment had crossed the limit. With reports of excessive alcohol consumption and inconsiderate behavior towards players.

Despite number of interruptions, the tournament produced a nail biting finale. As Canadian golfer Nick Taylor, outside the top 100 in the world ranking, found himself in a close match with veteran Charley Hoffman. After both golfers tied at 16-under par, a two-hole playoff ensued, coming to an end with Taylor’s dramatic victory.

On No. 18, Taylor birdied three times in a row to take the match to a playoff in regulation. And then birdied two more times on each of the first two holes of the playoff. With this victory, Taylor clinched a PGA Tour victory, earned a mammoth $1,584,000 and moved into fourth place in the FedExCup standings for the year.

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