Jon Rahm confronted a spectator at Royal Portrush after a whistle during his backswing disrupted his tee shot on the 11th hole during Thursday's opening round of The Open Championship.
The LIV Golf star's drive veered into thick rough following the distraction.
"Really? Whistling?" the Spaniard exclaimed angrily towards the gallery, clearly frustrated by the timing of the interruption.
The two-time major champion's shot landed in troublesome rough to the right of the fairway on the challenging par-four hole.
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|Jon Rahm fumed at a fan after he was whistled at on the 11th hole
The incident occurred as Rahm was already struggling, having just bogeyed the 10th hole after starting strongly at two-under through nine holes.
"Great timing. Right in my backswing, very smart whoever it was," Rahm continued, gesturing at the audience whilst delivering his sarcastic rebuke.
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The 30-year-old had been in fine form earlier, hitting every green in regulation on the front nine at Royal Portrush.
However, his mood soured after sending his approach through the green at the 10th, failing to save par.
Hot microphones captured the full extent of Rahm's frustration as he watched his drive disappear into the rough.
The Spaniard immediately turned away in disgust, convinced the whistling spectator had affected his swing at the crucial moment.
The distraction proved costly as Rahm could only hack out onto the fairway from the rough, ultimately recording a bogey on the 11th.
The hole is notorious for its difficulty, with over four times more bogeys than birdies recorded during the 2019 Open at Portrush.
One fan highlighted the irony on social media, writing: "Jon Rahm has no problem with people yelling and music blaring during LIV tournaments, but don't you dare whisper or walk when he's playing on tour."
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Jon Rahm is LIVID 😤 #TheOpen
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 17, 2025
"Really? Whistling? Great time. Right in my backswing. Very smart…whoever it was."” 😙
pic.twitter.com/qsGCmDvKKy
Rain-soaked spectators watched the confrontation unfold, with the guilty party remaining unidentified amongst the gallery.
Rahm recovered to birdie the 14th but finished his opening round at even par. The Spaniard is searching for his first Open Championship title, with his best finish a tied second at Royal Liverpool in 2023.
Since joining LIV Golf on a reported £400 million deal in 2023, Rahm has struggled in majors.
He tied for 45th at this year's Masters, missed the cut at the PGA Championship, and withdrew from the US Open with a toe injury.
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