Former Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday.
Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-3 12th playing a big roll in his downfall.
Television footage showed that Johnson reacted to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling, "Oh fuck off."
Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament but is particularly out of keeping with the formality and decorum at Augusta National.
Asked about the social media response to the incident, Johnson initially said he was unaware of the footage and online response to it.
"That I swore at the patrons? That's laughable. That's completely laughable. I can't hear the patrons, number one. Number two, I just made a triple bogey on the 12th hole that evidently is going to make me miss the cut, which at the time I knew was pretty sensitive in the sense that I needed to keep making pars," he said.
"If I've said anything, which I'm not going to deny, especially if it's on camera, one, I apologize, and two, it was fully directed towards myself entirely because I can't hear anything behind me. Does that make sense?"
Johnson returned to the incident at the end of his post-round interview.
"I'm going to clear that up. I don't know what was said on 12 because I'm really frustrated by that. I'm just frustrated by that. I am sorry if it looked like that," he said.
"Please know that. I had no intention of -- I can't hear anybody. I probably should have said something to my caddie. No, I'm just kidding. All seriousness, I apologize if there was something there."