Golfer Jon Rahm unleashes on fan at The Open Championship, claims whistling created distraction during drive

Jon Rahm’s emotions ran high during the first round at The Open Championship. 

The Spaniard had a rough moment when he played the par-4 10th hole at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on Thursday. Rahm’s shot ended up in the rough.

The two-time major championship winner was visibly upset as he put his hands in the air before turning toward the gallery and scolding a fan.

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Rahm claimed at least one spectator made a distracting noise as he was attempting his backswing.

“Really? Whistling? Right, great time,” Rahm said. “Right on my backswing. Very smart, whoever it was.”

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It was not clear whether cameras for the television broadcast picked up audio of the alleged whistling noise.  Rahm later downplayed the tense exchange he had with the spectator, chalking up his emotional reaction to the “bad timing” of the noise in question.

Jon Rahm of Spain acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during day one of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 17, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Warren Little/Getty Images)

“I mean, if I were to paint a picture, you have the hardest tee shot on the course, raining, into the wind off the left, it’s enough,” Rahm told the assembled media. “I know they’re not doing it on purpose. It just seemed like somebody trying to get a hold of someone for whatever it is. It was bad timing.”

Rahm did admit that he had “a bad swing.”

Apr 10, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Jon Rahm lines up his putt on the second green during the first round of the Masters Tournament. (Peter Casey-Imagn Images)

“I think I just used the moment to let out any tension I had in me. Really that’s not — it is what it is. To be honest, it probably didn’t affect as much as I made it sound like. It was a bad swing as well. Just a difficult hole.

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“I mean, it’s frustrating, but it is what it is. It’s an everyday thing in golf,” Rahm concluded.

The 30-year-old entered the final major tournament of the season off the heels of a second-place finish at LIV Golf’s event in Spain. Rahm had his best performance at The Open in 2023 when he finished in a tie for the runner-up spot.

He won the U.S. Open in 2021 and the Masters tournament in 2023.

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