PGA Golfer Heckled by Bettor During BMW Championship Event

Article ByDavid Weir

August 23, 2023

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Posted in: Illinois Gambling News, US Gambling Crime News, US Sports Betting News

The angry face of sports betting has once again reared its head into the spotlight this week.

In the latest incident, PGA tour pro golfer Max Homa (pictured) was heckled during the BMW Championship’s third round by a sports betting spectator.

The golf fan tried to put Homa off as he attempted a five foot putt on the 17^th hole of the Olympia Fields course in Illinois. It later emerged the fan had placed a $3 live bet on Homa to miss the shot, which Homa successful put away.

“I love that people can gamble on golf, but that [heckling] is one thing I’m worried about,” Homa said.

The PGA, meanwhile, said it treated the incident with “utmost seriousness”.

“We have a robust and comprehensive fan code of conduct, we have an extensive security apparatus and plan each week, and we feel really confident about all the aspects of that. We spend a good deal of time monitoring it each and every day, and we take it very seriously,” PGA Tour

$3 Wager

At the BMW Championship, Homa was confronted by a vocal gambler who had wagered on the game’s outcome.

As Homa prepared to make his shot, the individual loudly rooted against him, hoping to influence the result in favor of his bet. Despite the distraction, Homa’s putt was successful. But the incident left a lasting impression.

The golfer later learned that the heckler and his companion had bet a mere $3 on the game.

Although he was stoic in his attitude after the game and in hitting his shot, Homa had some choice words for the small-stakes bettor – apparently calling him a clown.

This incident was not the only example of such behavior this month.

At the American Century celebrity event in Tahoe, Mardy Fish, a contender for the title, was disrupted by a spectator who made a loud noise during his backswing. This interference led to a poor shot by Fish, benefiting another celebrity player, basketballer Steph Curry, whom the heckler had bet on to win.

Such incidents raise questions about the potential for gamblers to deliberately influence the outcome of games. The quiet nature of golf, especially right before a shot, makes it particularly vulnerable to such disturbances.

“It’s on us to stay focused or whatever, but it’s just annoying when it happens,” Homa said.

Growing Gambling Influence

The PGA Tour has formed partnerships with major betting platforms like FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365, and BetMGM across various events. This has included on-course facilities, encouraging fans to wager during play.

This increasing integration of gambling into golf was evident at the PGA’s FedEx St. Jude Championship in Tennessee earlier this month.

FanDuel was the official betting partner for the event. It set up an on-site bookmaker, which will allow fans to place bets and then watch the results unfold in real-time.

At the same time, the market leading sports betting operator launched its upgraded golf betting options. It offered new betting opportunities, including mini games focused on specific golfing feats, promoting live betting directly from spectators’ phones.

Next year’s WM Phoenix Open will have a similar on-site betting venue from DraftKings.

This time, the heckler was concerned about a $3 bet. But as pointed out by Golf.com, what if it was a $300 or $3,000 bet?

Intentional Disruption

The increasing intertwining of gambling and professional sports may raise these questions across the board.

While the PGA Tour and players benefit from the revenue and fan engagement that betting brings, it also introduces potential challenges to the game’s integrity.

Losing sports bettors heckling or otherwise harassing athletes is, sadly, an all-too-common occurrence. Earlier this year, Ohio lawmakers passed a rule on the issue as part of the state’s 2024 to 2025 fiscal budget. It could ban bettors from wagering within the state if they’re found guilty of harassing athletes.

In January of this year, a University of Dayton Flyers basketball coach spoke out to the media about online harassment his players received from angry bettors after losing games.

While the latest incident may spark debate among sports betting operators, fans, and the media, Homa remained stoic about fans in general and the respect they have for the sports they follow.

“When anybody talks, it’s [usually] unintentional,” he said. “They don’t know we’re hitting. It just sucks when it’s intentional.”