PGA Championship: Rory McIlroy fumes at a heckling fan down the stretch at Aronimink

Rory McIlroy fumed at a heckling fan late down the stretch on Sunday afternoon at the PGA Championship.

Playing the 16th hole at Aronimink Golf Club, McIlroy chipped toward the green when a fan started heckling him. McIlroy’s ball actually drilled the hill short of the green and bounced down into the bunker. While it was a longshot anyways, the errant chip ensured McIlroy wouldn’t be able to catch Aaron Rai.

It’s hard to make out what the fan actually yelled once McIlroy made contact with the ball, but a very clear “USA” is heard afterward. 

McIlroy was then spotted on the CBS broadcast chirping back at the fan. He told him to “shut the f**k up,” and then appeared to point the fan in question out to security. 

It’s unclear who the fan was, or if they were ejected from the event.

The incident brought back memories of what McIlroy and the European team faced during their 15-13 win over the Americans at the Ryder Cup last fall. There were several clear instances during that event in which fans appeared to take heckling too far, especially with McIlroy. At one point, McIlroy’s wife Erica got hit by a beer from a fan as they were walking through a crowd. Comedian and actress Heather McMahan, who was the event’s emcee, even stepped down and apologized after she joined the crowd in chanting “F**k you, Rory!” over the course microphone.

After Sunday’s exchange, McIlroy then finished out his round without issue. He posted a 1-under 69 to get to 4-under on the week, which gave him a T7 finish. 

Rai ran away with the event and ended up taking a three-shot win over the field. That gave him his first major championship victory, and earned him a nearly $3.7 million check. 

McIlroy won the Masters for a second straight time earlier this spring, which marked the 30th win of his PGA Tour career. McIlroy said after his round that he’d take a few weeks off, and then return for the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in early June.