Rory McIlroy has had unfortunate run-ins with fans at the Ryder Cup, The Players, and the PGA Championship. Sunday at Shinnecock was no different, except this time his response was wordless, just a stare and a gesture that said everything.

A fan in the crowd decided to make things personal. After McIlroy hit his tee shot, the fan screamed at the ball to go in the bunker, then kept shouting as McIlroy walked away. It looked like Rory was going to ignore it completely. He did not. Just before stepping off the tee box, he turned, looked straight at the fan, and used his hands to mock the man’s belly.

It was not the week McIlroy had wanted anyway. He finished at +6, tied 32nd, with rounds of 69, 71, 73, and 73. His first round gave some hope, but the tournament slipped away quickly after that. After the round, the 37-year-old spoke about the New York crowd without much bitterness.

83% of our readers couldn't break par yesterday

Changing winds, tricky bunkers, and quirky breaks test every shot. Beat par, compare scores, and return tomorrow for a new challenge.

TEE OFF HERE↗

“I love playing around New York. It’s got some of the best golf in the world,” he said. “Was it a rough week for me at times? Absolutely. But if that’s a price to pay to live the life that I’m living, then I’m okay with that.”

Well, the thing is, heckling is not new for Rory McIlroy.

At the PGA Championship in May 2026, a fan started chanting “USA” after McIlroy’s errant shot. The golfer pointed him out to security and got him removed. When he pulled off a brilliant shot from the rough moments later, he called it “very f—ing satisfying.”

In September 2025, at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, it was worse. Fans were shouting personal insults at him all week. Someone even threw a beer at his wife, Erica. The Northern Irishman even told fans to shut up mid-round.

And before all of that, in March 2025 at The Players Championship, a fan taunted him about his 2011 Masters collapse during the practice round. Rory McIlroy finished his shot, walked over, and simply took the phone from the fan’s hand and walked off with it.

Three tournaments. Three confrontations. Rory McIlroy is not someone who lets things go quietly. That much is clear.

But Rory McIlroy was not the only one dealing with crowd trouble at Shinnecock on Sunday.

Heckling continues at the U.S. Open

Wyndham Clark came into the final round with a six-shot lead. Fans were shouting “Don’t choke, Wyndham” and “get in the bunker” before he had even settled into his round.

As a result, fans were even removed from the course. One got ejected at the fourth hole for telling Clark not to choke before his tee shot. The heckling carries extra weight when you know what Clark went through just a year ago.

After missing the cut at the 2025 US Open at Oakmont, he smashed his locker in the changing room. The locker was over a century old, and later, Oakmont banned him for it.

Heckling has become way too common on the golf course. Do you think it is a good thing?