PGA Tour pro hits back after outrageous “fake” accusation at The Open

Billy Horschel recently found himself embroiled in controversy on social media after being accused of being “fake and inauthentic” by a golf fan on X (formerly Twitter). This incident occurred shortly after Horschel achieved his career-best major championship finish, tying for second place at The Open, held at Royal Troon. Xander Schauffele won the tournament.

Despite receiving praise from many fans and pundits for his performance, one vocal critic, who goes by “Pro Golf Critic” on X, took the opportunity to criticize Horschel’s personality. Pro Golf Critic accused Horschel of being disingenuous in response to another user’s positive comments about the golfer’s performance at the BMW Championship.

The initial tweet from Pro Golf Critic, posted the evening before the final round at Royal Troon, read: “I think he’s fake & inauthentic and outside of owning that, nothing will make me like him.” Horschel, clearly upset by the attack on his character, waited until after the tournament to respond. He tweeted: “I haven’t replied to any one of your tweets about me over the past year because I felt no need to. But I am now. Feel free to ask around about me. One thing I’m willing to bet you won’t hear is that I’m fake or not authentic.”

Many users on X supported Horschel and questioned Pro Golf Critic’s harsh judgment. When pressed for details on his dislike for Horschel, Pro Golf Critic vaguely mentioned “fake charity stuff” as a particular irritant. This comment came in response to another user’s story about meeting Horschel at a charity event for a rehab center that his wife had attended for alcoholism recovery—a topic also discussed during Sky’s coverage of The Open.

Despite the controversy, Horschel focused on his performance at The Open. He started the final day with a one-shot lead at 4-under but ended up with six birdies and three bogeys on the front nine, which ultimately cost him the title. Nevertheless, Horschel was gracious in defeat, praising Schauffele, the eventual winner.

“He played great. Listen, he’s the second best player this year in the world. No one has played better than him in my opinion. He’s got two majors,” Horschel told the media. “To see him improve, to see him grind and work hard and do everything the right way and have that attitude of trying to do everything you can to get better day in and day out, he deserves everything that he’s gotten this year and what he’s going to get in the future.”

Despite the online criticism, Horschel remains focused on his game and continues to earn respect in the golfing community.