Arrests. Plural. An abrupt exit by one participant. An abrupt pause by one other.
Actually, professional golf doesn’t lack for warmth, although its contributors neither sort out, test nor throw a fastball up and in. The gentlewomen and gents’s recreation is hardly benign.
However we won’t slow-play right here. Our intro can be expeditious.
Beneath, then, are the 18 most heated moments of 2024, with the titles being the headlines written by this web site.
However no, Charley Hull and her affection for ‘heaters’ didn’t make the lower.
18 most heated moments in golf in 2024
Honorable mentions
Listed here are 9 tales that simply missed the lower.
— On the PGA Championship, Golf Channel analyst Arron Oberholser took challenge with feedback from Jon Rahm, at one level saying he wished to “wring his neck by the tv.” (Full story right here.)
— Fred {Couples}, a LIV Golf critic, supplied further ideas on the tour on the Masters. (Full story right here.)
— On the Masters Champions Dinner, Tom Watson stated he shared a brief thought on the state of the professional recreation. (Full story right here.)
— Jordan Spieth was DQ’d from the Genesis Invitational after the second spherical after signing an incorrect scorecard. Notably, a number of months later, the PGA Tour stated going ahead, gamers could be allowed a 15-minute buffer to appropriate a scorecard error. (Full tales right here and right here.)
— On the Gamers Championship, fan favourite Rickie Fowler snapped at a fan. (Full story right here.)
— Extra Spieth. Through the Texas Open’s third spherical, he performed the 18th gap in one of many wildest methods you’ll see. (Full story right here.)
— No, Lexi Thompson’s retirement announcement on the U.S. Ladies’s Open was not heated. However her admission of years of struggles was. (Full story right here.)
— Charley Hull did make the lower — for her excessive tackle remedy gradual play. (Full story right here.)
— In keeping with a Palm Seaside Put up story, Charlie Woods, the 15-year-old son of 15-time main winner Tiger Woods, performed by a number of incidents of unruly fan habits throughout a Cognizant Traditional pre-qualifier. (Full story right here.)
18. ‘Bryson DeChambeau claims he was ‘extorted’ for $2 million after U.S. Open win’
The reporting right here comes by way of Golfweek’s Adam Schupak, whose full story may be learn right here.
17. ”No love misplaced’: Tensions flare as professionals beef over taking part in order guidelines‘
On the Houston Open, Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti bought right into a back-and-forth over taking part in order. In describing the state of affairs, analyst John Wooden stated this on the published: “You possibly can lower the strain with a knife between Finau and Tosti proper now. … It’s simply utterly icy. It’s not comfy between these two in any respect. It’s simply rigidity.” (Full story right here.)
16. ‘LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan unexpectedly steps down’
Earlier this month, LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan resigned after a four-year tenure that was marked by each progress and criticism, the latter of which included ideas on her dealing with of transportation on the Solheim Cup. (Extra on that later.) Notably, she had defended her efficiency after being requested about it days earlier on the tour’s season-ending occasion. (Full story right here.)
15. ‘‘What the hell is he doing?’ Colin Montgomerie calls on Tiger Woods to retire’
Longtime professional Colin Montgomerie, in an interview with the Instances of London forward of the Open Championship, stated he believed Woods had misplaced kind and will name it a profession. “There’s a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, but it surely’s very troublesome to inform Tiger it’s time to go,” he stated. “Clearly, he nonetheless feels he can win. We’re extra reasonable.” Notably, the feedback drew this pointed response from Woods: “Effectively, as a previous champion,” Woods stated. “I’m exempt till I’m 60. Colin’s not. He’s not a previous champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the chance to make that call. I do.” (Full tales right here and right here.)
14. ‘Scottie Scheffler’s father, caddie get into altercation with vulgar fan’
On the Presidents Cup in Montreal, the writer of this story witnessed this firsthand. Scott Scheffler approached a fan who had shouted a vulgar remark within the path of his son, and Ted Scott, Scheffler’s caddie, and police intervened. (Full story right here.)
Any sudden withdrawal will transfer the needle a minimum of a little bit, however this one, on the Genesis Invitational, included Woods, feedback that he “didn’t look proper,” two fireplace vans, an ambulance and a swarm of reporters. Woods’ enterprise companion Rob McNamara finally clarified that his man had been battling flu-like signs since Thursday night time, and so they led to the WD. (Full story right here.)
12. ‘‘I used to be scared for my life’: Chaos disrupts Vacationers Championship decisive moments’
On the Vacationers Championship, 72nd-hole play was disrupted by protesters who had emerged from the group, stormed the inexperienced and sprayed a coloured substance on the placing floor. Play was suspended for a number of minutes as authorities apprehended the protesters, but it surely had created a stir among the many gamers on the outlet — Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim and Akshay Bhatia. “I imply, I used to be scared for my life. I didn’t even actually know what was occurring,” Bhatia stated. “I used to be in shock and my coronary heart price was excessive. It bought low, after which as soon as that form of occurred, I used to be simply freaked out.” (Full story right here.)
11. ‘Rory McIlroy rules-policing makes for tense theater at Gamers Championship’
Debates on proceed after a ball crosses right into a penalty space all the time trigger a buzz, and the scene on the Gamers Championship was no totally different. Twice, actually, throughout Rory McIlroy’s first spherical have been there back-and-forths between him and taking part in companions Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland. (Full story right here.)
Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland talk about McIlroy’s drop on No. 7.
10. ‘‘He ought to be penalized’: Brandel Chamblee disputes controversial ruling’
Did Wyndham Clark’s ball transfer after he positioned his membership behind it through the Arnold Palmer Invitational? Or didn’t it? Clark stated no, it didn’t. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee stated sure, it did. “I don’t want video to see this. I noticed it dwell and I knew the ball moved,” Chamblee on Golf Central. “I believe he ought to have been penalized.” (Full story right here.)
9. ‘The PGA Tour simply ratified main modifications. Listed here are 6 issues you want to know’
The PGA Tour bought smaller. Among the many modifications coming are a discount within the variety of gamers who can maintain a Tour card (from 125 to 100); a discount within the variety of playing cards given to Korn Ferry Tour gamers (from 30 to twenty); a possible discount within the variety of Q-Faculty graduates (from the highest 5 and ties, to only the highest 5); and the elimination of Monday qualifiers from many occasions. As well as, the Tour will cut back discipline sizes at a number of of its occasions. Reactions, as anticipated, have been combined. (Full story right here.)
8. ‘U.S. Ryder Cuppers to be paid for first time. Right here’s the brand new association’
American Ryder Cup gamers can be paid, which is notable in and of itself. However with European gamers saying they don’t want cash, let’s simply say a ticket to the subsequent occasion, subsequent 12 months at Bethpage, can be vital. (Extra on that in a single transient second.) (Full story right here.)
7. ‘Ryder Cup tickets are costlier than ever. PGA of America explains why’
The variety of the explanation why this story is heated? Strive about 750 of them. (Full story right here.)
6. Tom Kim and the Presidents Cup
Tom Kim was seemingly on the heart of each controversy on the Presidents Cup, so there’s not only one headline right here, however a number of. On Thursday afternoon, he quarreled with Scottie Scheffler. (Full story right here.) On Thursday night time, he referred to as for extra noise. (Full story right here.) On Saturday morning, he questioned why he needed to putt out. (Full story right here.) On Saturday night time, he stated some gamers cursed at him. (Full tales right here, right here and right here.) On Sunday, the ultimate day, he apologized. (Full story right here.) Whew.
5. ‘Matt Kuchar bizarrely stops spherical on 72nd gap, upends Tour occasion’s end’
Each golfer on the Wyndham Championship completed play on Sunday. Besides Matt Kuchar. He accomplished his spherical on Monday. (Full story right here.)
4. ‘‘Completely ridiculous’: Solheim Cup off to rocky begin after shuttle points strand followers’
The golf on the Solheim Cup was nice. However Friday morning, the crowds have been subdued attributable to shuttle points. Wrote GOLF’s Zephyr Melton: “In keeping with a number of followers, there have been two most important points that led to the transportation hiccup from the spectator lot. One, there weren’t sufficient constitution buses to deal with the variety of followers who arrived early within the morning. And two, volunteers (who use the identical lot as followers) have been capable of soar to the entrance of the road and bypass most of the followers who arrived properly earlier than them. ‘Completely ridiculous,’ stated one man who declined to be recognized by identify.” (Full story right here.)
3. ‘Contained in the tense moments after Rory McIlroy’s calamitous U.S. Open defeat’
Missed putts. One other slender defeat. Tires squealing upon exiting Pinehurst. Rory McIlroy’s 2024 U.S. Open was drama-filled. (Full story right here.)
From the grounds, GOLF’s Claire Rogers maybe described issues greatest when she wrote: “On Saturday on the WM Phoenix Open, I noticed extra chaos within the final eight hours than I’ve cumulatively within the final decade of my life. I noticed males bleeding from the face, folks napping on muddy hills and adults knocking one another over as a result of they couldn’t stroll straight. Image the primary jiffy of attempting to exit a sold-out live performance and multiply it by 15. That’s the place we have been at.” (Full story right here.)
1. ‘The total story of Scottie Scheffler’s stunning arrest: How tragedy, chaos struck at PGA’
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was arrested upon coming into the PGA Championship for his second spherical, taken to jail, then returned to play. Earlier that morning, a employee additionally died after being struck by a bus. A surreal day. (Full story right here.)
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Nick Piastowski
Golf.com Editor
Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Journal. In his position, he’s chargeable for enhancing, writing and creating tales throughout the golf house. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native might be taking part in the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and quick, and consuming a chilly beer to scrub away his rating. You possibly can attain out to him about any of those matters — his tales, his recreation or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.
