Zach Johnson’s turbulent second round at the Masters took a controversial turn on Friday as the former United States Ryder Cup skipper faced accusations of directing expletives at spectators near the 12th hole.
Struggling with blustery conditions, Johnson’s frustrations peaked at the par-three 12th, where his tee shot veered wildly off course into the azalea bushes. His subsequent attempts to recover only compounded the issue, culminating in a triple bogey.
Amid this meltdown, Johnson’s on-course outburst included an audible expletive, reportedly aimed in the direction of patrons observing nearby. However, Johnson vehemently refuted these claims during his post-round interview.
“I swore at the patrons? That’s laughable,” he said post-round. “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 sensitive in the sense that I needed to keep making pars.
“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?”
