AUGUSTA, April 13 — Former Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National yesterday.
Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-3 12th playing a big roll in his downfall.
Television footage showed that Johnson reacted to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling, “Oh f*** off.”
Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament but is particularly out of keeping with the formality and decorum at Augusta National.
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Asked about the social media response to the incident, Johnson initially said he was unaware of the footage and online response to it.
“That I swore at the patrons? That’s laughable. That’s completely laughable. I can’t hear the patrons, number one. Number two, I just made a triple bogey on the 12th hole that evidently is going to make me miss the cut, which at the time I knew was pretty sensitive in the sense that I needed to keep making pars,” he said.
“If I’ve said anything, which I’m not going to deny, especially if it’s on camera, one, I apologise, and two, it was fully directed towards myself entirely because I can’t hear anything behind me. Does that make sense?”
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Johnson returned to the incident at the end of his post-round interview.
“I’m going to clear that up. I don’t know what was said on 12 because I’m really frustrated by that. I’m just frustrated by that. I am sorry if it looked like that,” he said.
“Please know that. I had no intention of — I can’t hear anybody. I probably should have said something to my caddie. No, I’m just kidding. All seriousness, I apologise if there was something there.” — AFP
