Justin Thomas ready to take on golf's hecklers after growing tired of hearing fans’ abuse

American called for a heckler to be ejected from Palm Beach Gardens at the weekend on his way to victory in the Honda Classic and will no longer put up with receiving abuse

Justin Thomas will no longer stand for abuse from fans (Getty)

It seems that the world’s best golfers have had enough of the loudmouth fans that deem it appropriate to shout “mashed potato” and “get in the hole” after each and every shot after Justin Thomas had one heckler ejected from Palm Beach Gardens on his way to victory at the weekend.

Thomas, who has moved up to third in the world rankings, approached the 16th tee as he battled for victory with Luke List in the PGA Tour event. But as the American lined up his shot, one member of the gallery shouted: “I hope you hit it in the water!”

Thomas didn’t, hitting his tee shot straight down the middle of the fairway, but yet the heckler did not relent. “Get in the bunker!” the same man shouted, and by that point Thomas has heard all he needed to hear.

“I was like, OK, I’ve had enough,” Thomas said shortly after winning his eighth PGA Tour event following a one-hole play-off win over List.

Thomas turned around to the spectators and asked: “Who said that? Was it you? Enjoy your day, you’re done.”

He later added: “I just turned around and asked who it was, and he didn’t want to say anything, now that I had actually acknowledged him. So he got to leave a couple of holes early.

“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.”

Thomas had a fan ejected after he repeatedly heckled him on Sunday (Getty)

The incident is the latest in a line of professional golfers speaking out against the unacceptable whooping and hollering that comes from overzealous fans, which Rory McIlroy saw first-hand last week how over-the-top spectators can be when 14-time Major champion Tiger Woods is playing.

“I swear playing in front of all that, he [Woods] gives up half-a-shot a day on the field,” McIlroy said after playing with the American at the Genesis Open earlier this month.

“It’s two shots a tournament he has to give to the field because of all that that goes on.”