Ian Poulter Claims he was Verbally Assaulted Throughout U.S. Open

One of the biggest problems on the PGA TOUR this year has been the discussion of heckling. Many players have complained about the increased verbal assaults they have faced and it was more of the same at Shinnecock Hills.

The man who seemed to draw the most anger from the spectators is Ian Poulter. It’s no secret that Poulter has been a polarizing figure throughout his golf career, having a few issues with some players and fans. Poulter is especially disliked in America for how often he has come up with clutch play against the U.S. in the Ryder Cup.

Ian Poulter of England looks on during the final round of the 2018…

Ian Poulter of England looks on during the final round of the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 17, 2018 in Southampton, New York. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

This ire seems to have exploded on Poulter this week after he claimed that he was being heckled on every hole during his first two rounds. The heckling didn’t seem to affect his game so much, as he was only +1 going into the weekend but as the tournament and heckling continued, Poulter’s score fell. He ended up finishing at +12 for the tournament, 11 shots back of the lead.

https://twitter.com/IanJamesPoulter/status/1008155254058291200

Poulter took to Twitter to air out some of his frustrations with the fans. An excerpt of his twitter anger stated that “Verbally abused on every hole does get a little old. That’s not really golf either. Ryder Cup in 2024 COULD become a little silly, just like today was. @usopengolf @USGA Still we never hear the word SORRY.”

Poulter wasn’t just angry with fans either, as he also tweeted some critical thoughts on how the USGA set up the course. He claimed that any words that he wanted to use to describe hole locations shouldn’t be seen, and asked why mistakes were still being made at this level?

Brooks Koepka of the United States and Ian Poulter of England check…

Brooks Koepka of the United States and Ian Poulter of England check the leaderboard from the 18th green during the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 16, 2018 in… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Poulter is just one of several other golfers and commentators that were critical of how the course was set up and play this week.

Poulter’s fan attacks are just one more example of how edgy the spectators have become at these events. Hopefully, the PGA TOUR is looking for some solution in the future that can help limit these problems moving forward.

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