Billy Horschel Plays Down Exchange With Fan At Cognizant Classic

Billy Horschel has played down an exchange with a fan during the second round of the Cognizant Classic.

The incident occurred on the par-3 15th, which marks the start of the notorious Bear Trap at PGA National.

Horschel hit his tee shot left of the green, leaving it up against the grandstand, but after his second found the water, he was seen reacting to a comment.

The American, who is playing in his native Florida, asked a group of spectators, "Who said that?" before adding: “I mean, I guess you guys [inaudible] feel good about yourself with a comment like that, don't ya?"

The incident appeared to stem from comments Horschel made on Thursday regarding the apparently benign nature of the course. He suggested overseeding was a contributing factor, while also explaining that it’s “a really good golf course.”

Those comments on the course apparently didn’t go down well with the spectator, as he explained following his second round, where he made the cut on the number.

He said: “Listen, everyone has been saying overseed, overseed. It wasn't the first time I heard it today, but obviously in that situation, I hit a bad golf shot and they wanted to say it, and I just said - I don't know what I said. I think I said, ‘Who said that?’ or whatever.

“A guy sort of said a couple more things and said I was bad-mouthing the golf course, and that couldn't be the furthest from the truth.

“I've praised this golf course for many, many years. If I didn't like this golf course, I wouldn't come here and play every year.

“He had a few words to say. He wanted to share what his thoughts were, and I just said to him, I said: ‘Read the entire quotes from the last couple years. I've enjoyed this golf course. When it's benign, it's gettable. When it's the way it is the last two days with the wind blowing, it's a challenge. wanted to make sure I informed him on that.

“I said: ‘Maybe you should be more informed of the situation, and that was it. I walked back to the drop area, I hit a shot and walked off with a six. There was no more - nothing said."

Horschel also confirmed the fan had been escorted out of the property, although that isn’t something he’d requested.

“The officers came up to me after I walked off 16 and said: ‘We kicked him out, and I said, I didn't ask for him to be kicked out.’ They said: ‘No.’

“I guess he's been saying some other stuff throughout the day, and they proceeded to just escort him out of here.”

Horschel also defended the right of spectators to speak to players, but only if it’s done in a way that doesn’t affect their game.

He added: “Listen, everyone has a right to say things. I think there's just a level of respect that - when somebody is trying to do their job, understand, we're trying to do a job out here.

“Listen, we are really good golfers, and we can make the game look very easy, but at the end of the day, it is a job."

Despite the altercation and the fact that Horschel walked off the 15th with a costly triple bogey, he refused to blame the flashpoint for his woes at the hole.

He added: “Like I said, it's fine. I don't care. At that moment I hit a bad golf shot. I questioned somebody, and the guy said a few more things, and I just said, You need to be more informed on what I said.

“A fan affecting me out on the golf course will never happen. I affect myself enough.”

Later, Horschel also took to X, where he again laid the blame for his finish, which included bogeys at the 17th and 18th, on himself, writing: “The Bear got me today!”