Three of the world-class players in the QBE Shootout field – Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell – gave their reaction to the replacement of caddie Kessler Karain on brother-in-law Patrick’s Reed bag following a heckling and shoving incident Saturday at the President’s Cup in Australia.
Partisan crowds have heckled Reed following his rules violation a week before at the Hero World Challenge. Karain was riding in a golf cart when he jumped off and got into a short tussle with a fan before returning to the cart.
“After hearing fans in Australia for three days I had enough and got off the cart shoved him, said a couple of things with expletives and then left,” Karain said in a statement.
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The PGA Tour announced following play that Karain will not be working as Reed’s caddie during Sunday’s singles matches, which started Saturday night in the U.S.
“I’ve experienced the heckling but it’s a double-edge sword,” Watson said. “Things have been said to me and Ted (caddie) but I never had it go further like in Australia.
“I’ve always been playful in these situations and never had a problem. Then guys like Matt Kuchar would stop and point his finger at someone and it always stopped.”
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“The situation in Australia became polarizing and I’m not polarizing but my partner (Poulter) is, especially in the Ryder Cup,” McDowell said.
“The heckling, some of it very deep, happens every Ryder Cup but you roll with it,” Poulter said.
Poulter was asked how he responded.
“I have a solution to fans heckling, which I’ve done: hit it close on the next hole and make a birdie,” he said.
