The first round at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational went smoothly, with the exception of one incident.
A spectator was removed Thursday afternoon after heckling Ian Poulter on the 18th hole fairway, according to Golf Digest.
Per the report, as Poulter hit his approach shot, the spectator yelled, “Get in the bunker!” to the Englishman.
Poulter responded, “Really, you deserve to be here do you?” and called for security to remove the heckler.
The 43-year-old Poulter parred the 18th hole and ended the first round at 4-under, four strokes behind leader Jon Rahm.
The PGA Tour did not confirm nor deny the incident took place but released a statement regarding fan behavior at its tournaments.
WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational: Leaderboard | Tee times
“The overwhelming majority of our fans are enthusiastic and respectful, and we have very few problems week-to-week in this area,” the PGA Tour said in the emailed statement.
“However, we are continuously working with our tournaments to improve the fan experience, and that includes ensuring all fans – especially families with children – enjoy themselves while also being respectful of the competition and our players.”
This isn’t Poulter’s first run-in with a spectator; he had a confrontation in 2016 at the Valspar Championship and also was subject to heckling at the 2018 U.S. Open, according to Golf Digest.
