Rory McIlroy has been defended after ejecting a spectator from the PGA Championship, with one podcast producer branding the heckler a "moron" and insisting the public did not see the full story.
McIlroy's challenge at Aronimink Golf Club was fading on Sunday when he found a bunker with his third shot at the par-five 16th.
The Northern Irishman was already chasing Aaron Rai, who was pulling clear of the field on his way to a historic victory, and the mistake appeared to end any realistic hopes of McIlroy claiming a third Wanamaker Trophy.
Moments later, television cameras captured the 37-year-old turning towards the crowd and signalling for security to intervene.
Footage suggested a spectator had shouted "USA", leading some fans on social media to accuse McIlroy of overreacting.
But according to Charlie Hulme, producer of "The Smylie Show", the incident came after sustained abuse from the same two spectators earlier in the round.
Speaking on the podcast, Hulme said he had witnessed the pair heckling McIlroy on the ninth hole and claimed they were attempting to unsettle the world No 2 throughout the day.
Rory McIlroy has been defended after ejecting a spectator from the PGA Championship, with one podcast producer branding the heckler a "moron" and insisting the public did not see the full story
|GETTY
"A lot of people are talking about Rory's interaction with the fan on 16 and saying, 'How soft is Rory? The guy yelled USA,'" Hulme said.
"Let me tell you something. Jaxon Brown and I were on the ninth hole and these two guys were yelling at Rory the entire way up the fairway.
"'You suck Rory. You're terrible. Just go home. You've got no shot.'"
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Rory McIlroy finished five shots off the pace at the PGA Championship
| REUTERSHulme said the same spectator was later removed after continuing his behaviour on the 16th.
He launched a blistering attack on the individual, adding: "That very same guy was the one who got kicked out.
"If this guy is listening, donate your golf clubs and never play golf again, because I don't want people like you around a game that I love."
Hulme also argued that golf should be held to different standards than team sports.
"It is not what we do in the game of golf," he said.
"People are going to say Rory is soft, but they didn't really know what happened out there."
Aaron Rai upset the odds to win the PGA Championship on Sunday
| GETTYWhile McIlroy's hopes unravelled, Rai produced one of the finest performances of his career to seal a landmark triumph.
The 31-year-old from Wolverhampton closed with a superb five-under-par 65 to finish on nine under and become the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship since 1919.
Rai improved his score in every round, posting 70, 69, 67 and 65, and became the first golfer since Mark O'Meara at the 1998 Masters Tournament to achieve that feat in a major.
A spectacular birdie putt from nearly 70 feet at the 17th effectively sealed the title, while his calm and methodical approach proved too much for a field featuring McIlroy, Jon Rahm and the rest of the world's elite.