The Open controversy as Sky Sports cause outrage with ‘dreadfully crass’ comment about Billy Horschel’s wife

Golf fans watching The Open have been left furious after a comment made on Sky Sports about Billy Horschel’s wife’s battle with alcoholism.

The American held the overnight lead going into the final round at The Open after a magical Saturday in tricky conditions.

Others around him such as Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Daniel Brown struggled to get under par for the day.

But Horschel kept it steady throughout, particularly on the front nine with four birdies.

Pundits and commentators analysed Horschel’s performance at the end of Saturday’s play before Sky Sports’ Sarah Stirk brought up his wife’s battle with alcoholism.

Brittany Horschel has been open about her issues with alcohol in the past.

But it wasn’t something some viewers felt necessary to be brought up with Horschel gunning for his first major.

One viewer fumed: “Sky TV making an issue out of Billy Horschel’s wife is dreadfully crass.”

Another message read: “I don’t see the relevance in bringing up Billy Horschel’s wife’s battle with alcohol and its relevance to him leading @TheOpen. Irrelevant and tasteless.”

A third angrily wrote: “May I ask @SkySportsGolf to tell us what Billy Horschel’s wife’s battle with alcoholism had to do with his leading at @TheOpen? An apology is due.”

One other person posted: “Did the Sky Open commentator really have to mention Billy Horschel’s wife’s alcoholism live on T.V. Let the women get on with life and not be labelled on national TV. She is in recovery.”

Another asked: “Why have Sky Sports Golf just peddled that Horschel misses was an alcoholic. What has that got to do with him playing so well this week?! Strange story to try and make.”

Horschel and Britanny have been married for over a decade and have three kids together.

Back in 2017, Brittany first opened up publicly about her drinking habits after Horschel won the AT&T Byron Nelson.

She’s now eight years sober and has admitted it’s been “freeing” to speak about his addiction.

“To emerge from all that and be able to put the pieces of our lives together, I eventually realized it was something I wanted to share with the world as a way to help others,” she said seven years ago.

“I knew it was something I wanted to do, and Billy winning on the one-year mark and having this emotional reaction afterward just felt like the right time.

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“They say you’re only as sick as your secrets, and I felt like I was hiding who I really was, so to have it out there for the world to see was really freeing.

“I’m so proud of the last year and the woman I’ve become. I no longer feel this pressure to be perfect, because I know I can’t be. No one is.

“I struggled with getting help for so long because it’s perceived as so ugly.

“But when someone can share their recovery story, it’s actually really beautiful.”