“Shut up” - US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson loses his cool on fans watching from the gallery at WM Phoenix Open
It's no secret that the fans at the WM Phoenix Open are as rowdy as they come in the world of golf, and Zach Johnson just learned that. At one point, the gallery, as it is called, was getting a little out of hand, and Johnson had had enough. It appears that someone said something that struck a nerve, and he decided to speak to them about it.
Johnson said:
"Somebody said it. I'm just sick of it. Shut up! Just grow up."
He then walked away, but his frustration was palpable. The Ryder Cup captain for the United States' team last year claimed that someone had said something, though the video didn't capture anything before to determine what was actually said.
Zach Johnson had different reaction to fans than Scottie Scheffler
Golfers know that the WM Phoenix Open has and encourages fans to get into it and be loud. Sometimes, that can get to be a bit too much for some golfers. Golf is often called the gentleman's sport and that extends to fans, so this provides a rare opportunity for something different.
Again, it's unclear what was said to Zach Johnson and why he was so upset, but his response is decidedly different from that of two-time reigning champion Scottie Scheffler.
The World No. 1 admitted beforehand that he knew what he was up against, but said he was more than used to it.
“I’m fairly used to the heckling. Where I practice at home, I’ve got a good group of guys that we play golf with, and I get heckled pretty often. When I’m practicing on the range, there’s usually a group of 10- to 15-year-old kids that are trashing me all the time, so the heckling is something I’m pretty used to,” he said via SB Nation.
Scheffler has experienced it in victories twice now, so it's not something that fazes him, but every golfer has a different reaction. Tensions may also be high based on a number of factors, potentially including the weather issues that have plagued the PGA Tour lately.