Golf has long prided itself on tradition, etiquette, and sportsmanship. Yet some of the game’s biggest names have found themselves at the center of controversies that refuse to fade. From disputes over rules to fiery confrontations, these incidents linger with fans and often turn admiration into dislike. Over time, that resentment can accumulate, especially if the player repeats the same behavior. So, who are the golfers that fans have turned against the most in 2026? RotoWire conducted a survey involving 750 golf fans to find out. Some of the names you perhaps will expect to find in the list (and might tacitly agree with), while others might just outrightly make you scratch your head. Off we go…
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5. Billy Horschel
Yep. The eight-time PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel’s name comes as a surprise because there aren’t any big controversies surrounding his name, like others on this list. The only big incident is that he slammed defectors when they joined LIV Golf. Horschel minced no words against major champions, such as Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, and Phil Mickelson.
He said that these golfers were lured by lucrative signing bonuses and $25 million purses. While you might think this could be a huge hate moment because most fans felt the same at that time, Horschel did ruffle a few feathers, as it turns out.
Beyond that, smaller incidents have added fuel. At the 2026 Cognizant Classic, Horschel criticized the course setup, saying overseeding made it too easy. When a fan heckled him about those comments, a heated exchange followed, and the fan was ejected. That being said, do we feel the Horschel hate train is justified? Not really.
4. Matt Kuchar
The infamous 2018–2019 caddie pay controversy seems to be dictating Matt Kuchar’s reputation. At the 2018 Mayakoba Golf Classic, he hired local caddie David “El Tucan” Ortiz after his regular caddie, John Wood, couldn’t attend. Kuchar won the event and earned $1.296 million but paid Ortiz only $5,000, far below the standard 10% cut.
He initially denied paying more, saying they had a handshake agreement for the pay. But when Ortiz told Golf.com that he felt “taken advantage of,” the story blew up. In the end, Matt Kuchar apologized and paid Ortiz $50,000 that he requested. Kuchar even pledged a donation to Mayakoba Classic charities. However, his nice guy image was already tainted by then.
The hate was justified at the time, but whether it should still linger today is debatable.
3. Patrick Cantlay
Hate against Patrick Cantlay predates the 2023 Ryder Cup. Reportedly, Cantlay decided not to wear a Team USA cap as a protest against the golfers not getting paid to represent their country.
Media reports also said that this caused a divide in the locker room, which ultimately affected the team’s performance and resulted in a loss. The American pro denied all the claims, though.
Then came another controversy at the end of 2023. Golfweek reported that Cantlay was “trying to rally players against making a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.” However, Patrick Cantlay again denied all the claims.
He’s also been criticized for slow play, which frustrates fans. But many of the narratives around him remain unproven. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger dismissed the locker room story as “clickbait,” while teammate Brian Harman insisted, “We love each other, man.”
Patrick Cantlay has just become an unintentional villain because of fan-driven narratives, which are not proven.
2. Wyndham Clark
At the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, Wyndham Clark missed the cut and damaged two lockers in frustration. The club banned him, fined him, and required anger management sessions and a charitable donation. He complied, apologized, and the ban was lifted.
Fans? Nah, they didn’t forgive him.
At the 2026 U.S. Open, hecklers targeted him with chants like “Get in the bunker!” and “Don’t choke, Wyndham!” Clark admitted he deserved some of the criticism.
He redeemed himself by winning the 2026 U.S. Open, but hostility persists. While his past behavior justified backlash, his apology and corrective steps suggest fans should eventually move on.
1. Rory McIlroy
Yes, the elephant in the room. One of the most shocking names on the list is Rory McIlroy.
The reason it comes as a shock is that he is one of the most beloved golfers worldwide. But he might have a polarizing image in the US, and one reason behind that could be the 2025 Ryder Cup.
During the 2025 Ryder Cup, fans started heckling Europeans from the start, and Rory McIlroy lost his cool and clapped back at some fans. After the event, he criticized fan behavior and also blamed the management and Keegan Bradley for it.
At the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink, McIlroy responded to a fan shouting “U-S-A!” after a poor shot by telling him to “shut the f*** up” and pointing him out to security.
Another factor is his evolving stance on LIV Golf. Initially one of its fiercest critics, McIlroy later said LIV golfers should be allowed back on the PGA Tour. Some fans saw this as hypocritical.
McIlroy is one pro for whom the hate is not justified at all, not at this level. His presence in Australia during the Australian Open led to McIlroy Mania. Apart from that, he is also loved a lot in Europe and elsewhere worldwide. And as for his Ryder Cup comments, he did face a lot of heckling, which is why his heated response seemed somewhat justified.
But yes, McIlroy still remains one of the most polarizing figures.
Some pros have owned their mistakes, while others continue to carry the baggage of repeated controversies. One thing is certain: in today’s game, reputations are built over years but can change with a single incident.