Tour pro blasts 'unpalatable' behaviour of LIV Golf player
English tour pro Eddie Pepperell has labelled Dean Burmester's NSFW outburst in a playoff at LIV Golf Adelaide as 'unpalatable'.
English tour pro Eddie Pepperell has labelled Dean Burmester's expletive-laden comment directed towards a spectator during the finale of LIV Golf Adelaide as 'unpalatable'.
Burmester was representing the all-South African Stinger contingent in the first ever team playoff on the breakaway tour over the weekend.
The golfer and his playing partner, former Open champ Louis Oosthuizen, were up against home favourites Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman.
On the second playoff hole, Burmester was standing over his second shot into the par-4 18th at the Grange Golf Club when he asked for silence from those nearby so he could play his shot.
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A group of fans could also be seen sitting in a tree and it appeared Burmester was unhappy with the group.
Hot mics picked up Burmester telling the perhaps well-lubricated spectators to 'STFU'.
He blasted: "Are you serious?! STFU."
Perhaps he was a bit rattled as he sent his approach long into the bunker. He then failed to get that out, prompting loud cheers.
In the end, Smith and Leishman grabbed the victory.
But the heated exchange clearly left a mark on Pepperell, who discussed what happened in the latest episode of The Chipping Forecast with Andrew Cotter and Iain Carter.
Carter and Cotter put it to Pepperell that they did not like the comment and nor did the appreciate the behaviour of the partisan crowd who were clearly willing the Aussies to victory.
Burmester and Oosthuizen had to deal with the fans making noises during their backswings.
Those noises included loud booing, jeering and taunting.
Pepperell told the pod:
"I don't know if I would have the courage to tell someone to shut the F up on the golf course, but I would certainly be thinking it.
"To Iain's point, ironically for LIV the team event probably helped it -- the team element helped that event this week.
"Brendan Steele isn't, like you say, a big name winner, but actually it was the team side of things that created that whole thing on the 18th there.
"So ironically for LIV, this time around, the team element clearly added to it.
"But I'm with Ian, of course, and I suspect yourself Andrew, I find it relatively unpalatable generally.
"I don't think that it's a direction golf necessarily needs to go in and, of course, when you have a player in contention telling the crowd to shut the F up I mean... I don't see how that's positive on balance."
Despite that exchange and one caddie being drilled in the head with a bottle of water, LIV Golf Adelaide was once again a huge success in front of a sell out crowd of 95,000.
Smith claimed it was the best event he has ever played, which is quite the claim considering he won the landmark 150th Open at St Andrews.
Pepperell added: "95,000 people showing up is a great thing.
"Going back again to your point, that is going to be its highlight event of the year and I don't think they should expect that everywhere else they go."
The aforementioned Burmester is enjoying a stellar season.
He has won the Joburg Open, SA Open Championship and also claimed his maiden victory with LIV in Miami.
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