Scottie Scheffler responds to bad fan behavior with a gesture of sportsmanship

MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler didn't feel like talking about the most memorable part of his singles victory over Nico Echavarria in the Presidents Cup. His actions said plenty Sunday.

Scheffler conceded a 30-foot par putt from off the back of the 14th green, all because of a fan who disrupted Echavarria in the middle of his tee shot.

“(It) shows the character of the No. 1 in the world,” Echavarria said. “He’s just different. Even how good he is, he’s a truly amazing guy.”

Scheffler was comfortably ahead of Echavarria, a Colombian making his Presidents Cup debut who was left out of matches the previous two days. He was 3 up on the 14th tee when a fan yelled as Echavarria was in the middle of his swing.

He dropped his driver as the tee shot sailed well to the right. Scheffler stepped in and barked at the fan, “There's no place for that!” And they played on.

Scheffler had a birdie putt from 18 feet. Echavarria could only advance his shot to some 60 yards short of the green, and his pitch was too strong and rolled just over the back.

Scheffler conceded the par putt, and then missed his birdie putt. The hole was halved.

It was more reminiscent of Payne Stewart conceding a long par putt to Colin Montgomerie on the 18th green at Brookline after the Ryder Cup had been won by the Americans. The raucous crowd had been brutal to Montgomerie all day.

Asked about it in a television interview after Scheffler's 2-and-1 victory, he said, “To be honest with you, I don’t even really want to talk about it. I think there’s no real place for that in our game. I think we just leave it at that.”

He was a little more expansive in the team interview when the Presidents Cup was over, a 17-13 victory for the Americans.

“I was very frustrated. It was honestly a big distraction just because we compete and work so hard to put ourselves in these moments,” Scheffler said. “When you have some fan who decides to insert himself into the tournament ... you can say whatever you want to players, but I think there’s an amount of respect there."

Scheffler said players deserve at least 30 seconds of quiet as they prepare and hit their shots.

“It just didn’t really sit well with me,” Scheffler said. “He would never hit a shot as poorly as he hit off the 14th if there wasn’t a fan yelling in his swing. It was just very frustrating. I don’t really want to talk about it all that much.”

Echavarria said that wasn't the only moment. Chicago fans were loud and for the most part cheered as much for missed shots by the Internationals as good shots for the Americans. That's been the way these team competitions have gone the last decade.

“It was a tough environment,” he said. “Yeah, it’s unfortunate that in some way the crowds can affect performance like that. But we have the No. 1 player in the world who’s a class act. I wasn’t expecting for him to give me that putt for par, and he did, and we tied the hole.”

See AP’s full golf coverage here

USA teams' Scottie Scheffler hits from the third tee against the International team during a Presidents Cup golf tournament final round singles match at Medinah Country Club, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Medinah, Ill. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

International teams' Nico Echavarria, of Columbia, gestures after winning the 16th hole during a Presidents Cup golf tournament final round singles match against the USA team at Medinah Country Club, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Medinah, Ill. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

USA teams' Scottie Scheffler waves after his shot on the third green against the International team during a Presidents Cup golf tournament final round singles match at Medinah Country Club, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Medinah, Ill. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

International teams' Nico Echavarria, of Columbia, hits from the third tee during a Presidents Cup golf tournament final round singles match against the USA team at Medinah Country Club, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Medinah, Ill. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

From left: USA teams' Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark and Scottie Scheffler watch plays on the 16th hole against the International team during a Presidents Cup golf tournament final round singles match at Medinah Country Club, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Medinah, Ill. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It took the Las Vegas Raiders an entire season to accumulate three victories in 2025.

Rookie coach Klint Kubiak and new quarterback Kirk Cousins have helped the Silver and Black match that total by Week 3 of 2026.

Cousins passed for 248 yards and three touchdowns, and the Raiders overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to beat the New Orleans Saints 35-27 on Sunday and remain unbeaten.

The 38-year-old Cousins “has the experience, he has the maturity and he’s making plays,” said the 39-year-old Kubiak, who parlayed his one-year stint as offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks into his first head coaching job.

The game shifted on a play that will be seen as controversial and unjust by some — and certainly by Saints fans.

The series that led to the Raiders' go-ahead score began when Las Vegas defensive end Malcolm Koonce sacked Tyler Shough as the Saints QB started his throwing motion.

The ball went backward and was ruled a fumble that was recovered by the Raiders (3-0) — a different ruling than was made after a similar play involving the Saints (1-2) in Week 1 at Detroit. On that play, an apparent New Orleans strip-sack of the Lions' Jared Goff was ruled incomplete on video review after the Saints thought they had recovered a fumble for a touchdown.

Likewise, Shough said, “I thought my arm was going forward.”

“I’m not exactly sure on the rule,” he added. “It doesn’t really matter. I’ve got to get it out sooner, regardless.”

Boos rained down from Superdome stands, and Saints coach Kellen Moore gestured incredulously with his arms out to his side and palms up when officials, following a video review, upheld the call of a fumble.

“I just assumed it was a strip-sack,” Koonce said. “We just got a little bit of momentum and started balling.”

Six plays later, Cousins connected with Cody White for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 28-27.

“Momentum swung against us early in the third quarter, but the defense just kept showing up for us, creating turnovers and giving us short fields,” Cousins said. “We were able to capitalize on them.”

Cousins gave Las Vegas an eight-point lead with a 4-yard TD pass to Brock Bowers. The Saints got the ball twice more with a chance to tie it, but one drive stalled on Shough's fourth-down fumble and another on Juwan Johnson's fumble with 1:02 left.

“Turnovers in the fourth quarter got us and we weren’t able to overcome those. Those guys finished better than us,” Moore said. “We had our opportunities and we didn’t get it done.”

Shough passed for 255 yards and a career-high four touchdowns — including two to Johnson. Shough's other scoring passes went to Noah Fant from short range. But the second-year QB also turned the ball over three times, twice on fumbles and on an interception by cornerback Hezekiah Masses that set up the Raiders' final scoring drive.

Mike Washington ignited the Raiders’ comeback with a tackle-breaking 36-yard scoring run that cut New Orleans’ lead to 27-22 in the third quarter. Matt Gay kicked three field goals for Las Vegas, which also failed on a pair of 2-point conversions in the second half.

New Orleans’ Chris Olave caught nine passes for 107 yards, his second 100-yard game this season.

Bowers, making his season debut after coming back from a knee injury during training camp, caught 10 passes for 116 yards and his short TD.

“To come off an injury and play the way he did was very impressive,” Kubiak said. “We needed it. We’re not surprised.”

Raiders: WR Jack Bech left the game with a fractured forearm. Guard Jackson Powers-Johnson left with a groin injury.

Saints: LB Pete Werner left in the first half with a neck and shoulder stinger. RB Travis Etienne left with an apparent hamstring pull. Edge rusher Anfernee Jennings left with a knee injury.

Raiders: Host Kansas City next Sunday.

Saints: Host Atlanta on Monday, Oct. 5.

__

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore talks to an official after a penalty was issued to his team during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) throws a pass under pressure from Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV (99) and defensive end Malcolm Koonce (51) during the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) celebrates the team's win in an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers catches a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws a pass under pressure from New Orleans Saints safety Jonas Sanker (7) during the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)