Jon Rahm and his caddie were left raging with a member of the crowd at LIV Golf United Kingdom on Saturday as the two-time major champion twice had to back away from a shot.
Rahm is in contention for the title and the $4 million top prize after two rounds at JCB Golf & Country Club in the West Midlands. But the Spaniard and his looper Adam Hayes were in a foul mood on the par-four 16th hole, unleashing an X-rated outburst at a spectator.
The 2023 Masters champion, who is yet to win since his blockbuster move to LIV in December, struck a wayward approach shot, coming up short right of the green, leaving an awkward pitch as he tried to keep pace with leader Andy Ogletree. The shot was complicated by noise from the crowd which saw the 29-year-old lose focus.
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"Hey man," Rahm shouted as he stepped off his shot for the first time, with Hayes also giving the spectator a piece of his mind. The same person shouted at Rahm again as he stood over his ball for the second time, with his exasperated expression speaking volumes.
Florida native Hayes was even more direct. "Yell on our ------- backswing, you ---------," he fumed. The moment was aired loudly on the broadcast, with a member of the booth joking "We've all thought it".
Rahm tried to regain his composure but he could not get up and down for par, having to settle for a bogey en route to a one-under-par round of 70. He started Saturday's second round with a two-shot lead after a sublime eight-under-par 63 on Friday, but he finished a frustrating day in a share of fourth place at nine-under with Paul Casey.
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Ogletree leads the way at 12-under, with Rahm's Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton and Cam Smith in a tie for second place at 10-under with Sunday's final round remaining.
Ogletree, a member of Phil Mickelson's HiFlyers team, has been dealing with a wrist injury throughout the season, with his third-place finish in Australia in April his only top-25 result heading into this week. The Mississippi native, 26, is at threat of relegation as a result, staring the tournament 38th in the standings.
But his performance on Saturday has gone a long way to securing his place on the Saudi Arabia-funded league for next season, provided he finishes strongly on Sunday.
"I've been working on some swing stuff and trying to figure out how to hit a cut without hurting my wrist," he said. "It's taken a while with some trial and error, but what I'm working on now is starting to click and I can use it under pressure. Today was just another step forward to reassure myself of those things.
"[Relegation] is not on my mind at all and it doesn't affect how I play. I take it one day at a time and shoot the best score I can. If I do that well, I think I will like the outcome."
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