GOLF | RYDER CUP
Justin Rose bets heckler $100 to hole putt in Ryder Cup practice
An American golf fan in the watching crowd yelled out that he could make the putt that the pros were struggling with. So he was pulled out and asked to prove it Nadal vs Thiem
When an amateur challenges the pros
With the hugely popular golf challenge about to get underway both the American and European teams are looking to get all the fine tuning complete. Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan were struggling to make one particular putt during their final Ryder Cup practice round and someone in the crowd yelled out that they could do better. So the heckler was pulled out and asked to back up his claims...with some money at stake.
Added pressure
It was the Swede Henrik Stenson who spotted the American golf fan watching the pros on the 6th green at Hazeltine but Englishman Justin Rose put extra pressure on with a $100 laying on the ground next to the ball.
“We played a match against Andy and Rory and they had a putt and Andy didn’t make it, and they tried again to get the right line,” said Stenson. “Someone in the crowd yelled 'I could have made that', so we let him have a go. All credit to him – Rosie put 100 dollars down and the guy drilled it in the centre. He would have been chipping if it didn’t go in, but all credit to him for making it.”
Focused but fun
After losing his money Rose added: “I thought it might make it a bit more real for him, but clearly not. The boys were cupping out, missing it low and this guy just got the ball out and ripped it into the middle. Fair play to him and he celebrated in style.
“It’s fun. We are doing what we should be doing out here - having fun. We are preparing, we are focusing but you have to enjoy it. That’s how you get the most out of it. Even tomorrow you have to enjoy it.”
The competition gets underway Friday 30 September at 14:35 CEST. Let's see if this incident encourages more heckling by the watching masses.