Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, is demanding a rules change after Rory McIlroy’s Masters win on Sunday.
McIlroy won back-to-back Masters championships. The 2025 champion finished the 2026 tournament on top, too. McIlroy finished at -12 for the tournament. Despite hitting an errant tee shot on the 18th hole, McIlroy was able to scramble for bogey, finishing one stroke up on Scottie Scheffler.
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But in the wake of McIlroy’s win, Portnoy, an avid golf fan, is demanding a rules change at Augusta National in Georgia.
Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy walks towards the pagoda before the start of Carb Day practice, Friday, May 28, 2021, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.© Grace Hollars/IndyStar via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Portnoy thinks that McIlroy should not have been allowed to play his shot on the 18th hole from the other fairway. McIlroy’s shot on No. 18 was so bad that it ended up on the No. 10 hole.
“If I was golf commish I wouldn’t let people play other fairways to bail out a (crappy) shot,” he wrote on X.
Golf fans debating Portnoy’s suggestion
McIlroy’s shot was bad, but it actually didn’t end up in the No. 10 fairway. It was close, though.
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“Good things you’re not the commish haha,” one fan wrote.
“Essentially banning the entire strategy of professional golf and calling it a reform. Augusta would become a demolition derby with expensive pants and nobody would be safe,” one fan added.
“Some people just can’t enjoy the game because they hate certain golfers for (crappy) reasons,” one fan added.
What do you make of the suggestion?
This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Golf section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.