The war on golf galleries has only just begun.
During the closing stretch of his playoff victory Sunday night, Justin Thomas had a spectator removed from the gallery for negatively cheering against him. The move was caught audibly as CBS went to break, with Thomas asking the gallery “Who said that?”
Apparently, the spectator had been yelling for Thomas’s ball to get into the bunker, and not long after previously telling Thomas they hoped he would hit into the water. Thomas had clearly had enough, and moments after his tee shot on the 16th, said, “Enjoy your day buddy, you’re gone.”
Justin Thomas kicks fan out of Honda Classic for heckling him from r/golf
This comes just one week after Thomas complained about galleries yelling whatever they please at the Genesis Open. Well, after winning on Sunday, he was asked about his stance again, and the exchange on the 16th tee.
“I don’t want to kick someone out just to kick them out,” Thomas said. “It’s just it’s so inappropriate. We’re out here trying to win a golf tournament. I would have done it if he said it to Luke, just like Rory did to the guy that said something to me at L.A.
“Just because you’re standing behind the ropes doesn’t mean that you can — I don’t care how much I dislike somebody, I’m never going to wish that kind of stuff upon them. I felt it was inappropriate, so he had to go home.”
Fair enough. Galleries, you’ve been warned.
