“If you’ve never said f*ck on the golf course, you’re a liar!” Pro fires back at swearing critics

Tyrrell Hatton is one of the worst culprits for swearing on the golf course.

Potty-mouthed Tour golfers have made plenty of headlines recently with Tyrrell Hatton and Bob MacIntyre drawing ire for their repeated profanities at the Dunhill Links Championship.

The presence of hot mics at every Tour event means most golfers have been captured cursing on the course in recent years. And even if you don’t catch the profanity live, the rise of social media means any major meltdowns are quickly clipped up and shared with the world, whether it’s to draw laughter or to encourage offense.

Certain players are repeat offenders. While Hatton and MacIntyre have drawn attention, Ryder Cup teammates Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry are just as renowned for their love of an F-bomb. At the same time, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia have never been shy of ‘expressing’ their feelings when things aren’t going to plan. Justin Thomas is another who has television directors wishing they had a bleep button. Still, it’s Tiger Woods who tops yet another leaderboard – hardly a surprise when cameras and microphones follow your every step of every round for three decades.

MacIntyre has said he’s “trying my best to improve it,” and wants to react differently to poor shots. But the Scotsman pointed to his nationality and the changing face of golf coverage to defend his language.

“You wouldn’t put a microphone on a football pitch or on a referee because you are going to hear the bad language,” he said at the Dunhill.

“The other side of it is I’m Scottish and it’s part of our vocabulary. It’s difficult, but I am conscious of it, and I am trying my best not to do it too much.

“But if the microphone is there and it is catching me speaking to Mike [Burrow, MacIntyre’s caddie], I’m not going not going to change how I speak to him in a normal conversation just because it’s in my face.”

MacIntyre and Hatton have been backed by fellow DP World Tour winner Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston.

“Find me a golfer who’s never sworn on the course. These people who complain about it – are they trying to tell me they’ve never hit an awful shot and said ‘oh f*ck’?” Beef laughed as we chatted for his exclusive monthly column. “Anyone who says they haven’t is a liar. And if people are writing or calling into the Tour or the TV stations to complain about it, they’ve clearly never played the game. Golf is the hardest and most frustrating sport – it would drive a saint to swear sometimes. If anyone wants to write in after I’ve said this and tell me I’m wrong, I’ll happily call you a liar!

“As professional golfers, every shot impacts our week, our position, our season and our livelihood. Hitting a tee shot into the sh*t as opposed to the fairway could mean I’m half a shot worse off than the field. That’s going to frustrate me!

“Every player on Tour has lost it at some point. And, without fail, every amateur I’ve ever played with has lost it at some point during their round.”

It’s a fair point – my language during a challenging day on the course would make Bob and Tyrrell blush! So why are people so offended by players venting their frustration on the golf course, especially when golfers are often criticized for not showing enough personality and passion? Golfers being caught swearing seems to draw far more headlines than the footballers we see aiming foul language at opponents and referees, week in, and week out. Is it the language that’s offensive, or because it’s being used by people who are seen as role models, playing a sport historically built on etiquette and class?

“It’s not as if players are swearing at fans or officials – that’s a different level,” Beef continues. “And I understand that some people will find any bad language offensive, especially if they have kids watching, but if you watch golf, chances are you play the game, so you should be able to relate to how much this game can mess with your mind.

“It’s about the context. For the most part, the swearing you hear is in response to a poor shot or a bad break – players are swearing at themselves, their luck, or the course! Just venting about what’s happened and how it’s impacted their round or hopes in the tournament.”

While the players are ultimately responsible for how they speak and behave, broadcasters and viewers must take some responsibility. Fans want to get as close as possible to the action from the comfort of the sofa and the broadcasters are doing all they can to provide that experience, so there must be a level be acceptance of all that comes with it – good and bad.

“If you broadcast live audio of sportspeople in the heat of competition then it is inevitable you’re going to pick up swearing,” Beef said. “In the same way that if anyone else was recorded doing their jobs all day, we’d probably hear a few swear words!”

Putting mics throughout the course does add another level of responsibility for the broadcast networks and their teams of on-screen talent. UK viewers will regularly hear Sky Sports’ commentators apologize “for any inappropriate language you may have heard,” after a curse is captured.

At one stage during the second round of the Dunhill, Andrew Coltart and Laura Davies apologized five times in less than an hour. Unwittingly, it almost draws attention to something you’ve probably missed, but they have no option. Ofcom regulations order sports broadcasters to apologize for bad language at the first available opportunity.

And it doesn’t matter whether it’s 9.30am or 9.30pm, the apology will come because the watershed doesn’t exist in sports broadcasting (so please stop ranting about it on X!).

Failure to address it can result in huge fines, and if the network shows repeats or highlights later, it has to edit audio to remove any foul language.

But it’s not just the broadcaster who can be punished for the bad language.

“We can be fined for it,” Beef tells me. “There are rules there from the Tour, so it’s not like there’s no risk of punishment, especially if you’re a repeat offender. But I don’t think anyone does it deliberately, it’s just an instinct thing in the heat of the moment. If you’re someone who swears then golf isn’t the sport that’s going to stop you doing that!”

And, with everything else that’s currently going on in golf, anyone who thinks swearing is the biggest issue probably deserves to be cursed at!

About the Author

Rob Jerram – Digital Editor

Rob specializes in the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the Ryder Cup, spending large chunks of his days reading about, writing about, and watching the tours each month.

He’s passionate about the equipment used by professional golfers and is also a font of knowledge when it comes to golf balls, golf trolleys, and golf bags, testing thousands down the years.

Rob uses a Callaway Paradym driver, TaylorMade M5 5-wood, TaylorMade P790 driving iron, Callaway Paradym irons (4-AW), TaylorMade MG3 wedges (52º, 58º), Odyssey Tri-Hot 5k Double Wide putter, and Callaway Chrome Soft X golf ball.

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