Scottie Scheffler produced a remarkable display of sportsmanship during Sunday’s Presidents Cup singles action at Medinah Country Club, gifting his opponent a 32-foot par putt after a spectator disrupted play.
The world number one was three up against Colombia’s Nico Echavarria when the incident unfolded on the par-four 14th hole. As Echavarria began his backswing on the tee, a fan shouted loudly, causing the International Team player to badly mishit his drive.
Rather than capitalise on his rival’s misfortune, Scheffler rebuked the gallery before ultimately conceding the difficult putt later in the hole, ensuring both players walked away with matching fours.
According to reports, the spectator yelled “Go Scottie!” at considerable volume just as Echavarria was mid-swing on the tee.
Scottie Scheffler took aim at a section of spectators after Colombia’s Nico Echavarria was heckled
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Other accounts suggest fans also shouted “Get in the bunker!” The disruption sent the Colombian’s drive slicing wildly to the right, travelling just 226 yards into the rough. Echavarria dropped his driver in frustration and glared towards the offending section of the crowd.
Scheffler wasted no time in confronting the behaviour. Before Echavarria’s ball had even come to rest, the American turned to the gallery and declared: “Hey! There’s no place for that!” The Colombian’s visible anger was matched by his opponent’s disgust.
From that compromised position, Echavarria could only manage to reach the green with his third shot, chipping from in front of the putting surface and running the ball past the pin. He was left facing a daunting 32-foot putt to salvage par.
Scheffler, who had found the green in regulation, was unable to convert his birdie attempt from 19 feet, which would have sealed the hole outright.
Instead of forcing Echavarria to attempt the lengthy par putt, the American immediately conceded it.
Scottie Scheffler produced a remarkable display of sportsmanship during Sunday’s Presidents Cup singles action, gifting Nico Echavarriaa 32-foot par putt
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The gesture meant both players recorded fours on the hole, with Scheffler maintaining his three-up advantage heading to the 15th.
The concession, however, nearly proved costly. Echavarria mounted a late fightback, holing a remarkable chip from 64 feet off the green on the par-three 16th to claw back a hole and keep the match alive.
Scheffler ultimately prevailed 2 and 1, securing a crucial point for the United States as they sought to overturn a three-point deficit entering the final day’s singles. The Americans had been in danger of losing the Presidents Cup for only the second time in the competition’s history.
Asked about the incident afterwards by NBC’s Cara Banks, Scheffler was reluctant to dwell on it.
“To be honest with you, I really don’t even want to talk about it. I think there’s no real place for that in the game and we leave it at that,” he said.
