Zach Johnson had a tough day at Augusta National on Friday.
He stood on the 12th tee at 4-over par, flirting with the cut line. Then Johnson duck-hooked his tee shot into the woods across from Rae’s Creek, forcing him to reload from the tee with his third.
That attempt sailed way right of the green, ultimately leading Johnson to make a triple bogey seven—all but ending his chances of playing the weekend.
But after missing a putt for a double-bogey and tapping in for a triple, Johnson screamed “F*** off” after patrons applauded his make.
“I swore at the patrons? That’s laughable. That’s completely laughable,” Johnson said after his round.
“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 pretty 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 apologize, and two, it was fully directed towards myself entirely because I can’t hear anything behind me. Does that make sense?”
Fans did not buy Johnson’s ridiculous response to the ordeal:
The cover up is worse than the crime
— Bill Colbert (@BillColbert) April 13, 2024
Did Zach Johnson just tell the patrons to “fuck off”?
— Garrett Morrison (@garrett_TFE) April 12, 2024
Zach Johnson’s comments yesterday have to be a bigger story. He’s had some poor taste comments in the past, but with the entire situation on camera to blatantly lie to the media is absolutely absurd lol.
— Bobby Blute (@BBlute9) April 13, 2024
Does Caitlyn Clark need to apologize for Zach Johnson?
— TRON FLIGHT TRCKR (@kevinbcummings) April 13, 2024
as we move forward in the golf calendar, it becomes more and more baffling that Zach Johnson was chosen as the person to lead the American Ryder Cup team
— ANTIFAldo (@ANTIFAldo) April 13, 2024
Johnson’s triple bogey at 12 led him to shoot a 3-over 75 as he missed the cut by a stroke at 7-over par.
And yet, his performance at the 2024 Masters Tournament will be an afterthought. Instead, fans will discuss his comments for quite some time.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
