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Billy Horschel appears to have taken Justin Thomas’ PGA Tour memo very seriously. Maybe a little too seriously.
Thomas, 31, penned a letter to players yesterday, urging them to be more open and accessible to broadcast partners.
In the impromptu note, Thomas said the game can feel ‘a little distant at times’ and called on his peers in the States to step out of their comfort zones.
Up steps Horschel. Within hours, the American – an Atlanta Drive GC teammate of Thomas’ – pulled out a ‘Dirty Bird’ dance on his way into the SoFi Centre.
Understandably, it went down horribly on social media.
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“Total clown show,” one fan wrote on X, while the word “cringe” seemed to suddenly be trending.
Here’s how social media reacted:
Billy Horschel just hurts.
— Michael Wellington (@MWellington3906) January 22, 2025
what did i just watch Billy Horschel do
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) January 22, 2025
— Stuart (@stu_in_edin) January 22, 2025
TGL review despite not having watched it: “Billy Horschel straddled the line between being entertaining and annoying the entire night.”
— Tom & Marty's (@tomandmartys) January 22, 2025
Aaaand it’s over just like that
— obesechickn (@obesechickn) January 22, 2025
Trying to explain to myself four years ago that Billy Horschel would do the dirty bird in an indoor arena filled with smoke as part of the pro golf experience.
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterNS) January 22, 2025
Thankfully for Horschel, he was on the winning side of TGL’s third match. Patrick Cantlay made up the Atlanta outfit who defeated New York Golf Club 4-0 in Florida.
Wearing a huge silver chain emblazoned with “Dirty Birds,” Horschel was attempting to pay tribute to the Atlanta Falcons.
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The dance originated 27 years ago after the Falcons’ loss to the Denver Broncos became legendary, when wide receiver OJ Santiago celebrated a win by shouting, “How about them Dirty Birds!”
Thomas, meanwhile, is like the rest of us – he wishes he’d never seen it.
Golfer Billy Horschel hitting the 'Dirty Bird' celly at TGL 🕺😂pic.twitter.com/GRmzoAAXeA
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) January 22, 2025
“I’d probably go back in time and not watch Billy do the ‘Dirty Bird’ dance,” he said after the win. “Because I will never be able to get that out of my mind.”
Unfortunately, we might see it again. “Etched in there for life,” Horschel joked.
“As I said, it wasn’t going to be pretty. I was going to make a fool of myself. But it’s not the first time and won’t be the last time.”
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