Zach Johnson denies yelling an expletive-laden phrase at the Masters patrons

Former Masters champion and 2023 US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson discovered himself the topic of hypothesis and controversy throughout Friday’s second spherical of the 2024 Masters Match.

Microphones picked up Johnson saying an expletive-laden phrase whereas on the par-3 twelfth inexperienced, and he was trying within the course of the Masters patrons on the tee when he stated it.

Johnson pulled his tee shot lengthy and left to the par 3, going nicely behind the inexperienced. He determined to re-tee and hit his second tee shot, his third shot on the opening, lengthy and proper of the inexperienced. From there, Johnson want a chip and two putts to gap out for a triple-bogey 6. After Johnson tapped in for his rating, he then turned within the course of the patrons, who had been politely clapping him ending the opening, and was heard saying, “Oh, f*ck off.”

A clip of the incident went viral on social media, whereas Johnson nonetheless had six holes left to play in his spherical earlier than lacking the minimize. Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership clearly didn’t embody Johnson’s phrase on the replay on their shot-by-shot footage of his spherical.

After the spherical, Johnson was requested in regards to the incident. Whereas Johnson could not deny what he stated, he dismissed that it was directed towards the Masters patrons.

“That is laughable. That is utterly laughable,” he stated. “I am unable to hear the patrons, primary. Quantity two, I simply made a triple bogey on the twelfth gap that evidently goes to make me miss the minimize, which on the time I knew was fairly delicate within the sense that I wanted to maintain making pars.

“If I’ve stated something, which I am not going to disclaim, particularly if it is on digital camera, one, I apologize, and two, it was absolutely directed in direction of myself completely as a result of I am unable to hear something behind me. Does that make sense?”

Both method, Johnson is not going to must cope with the fallout from his feedback as he is not enjoying the weekend at Augusta Nationwide. Nonetheless, it’s the second viral incident this 12 months involving Johnson and, at the very least considerably, followers at a event. On the Phoenix Open this 12 months, Johnson acquired into an argument with followers who enraged him after heckling him on the golf course.