Rory McIlroy laughed off Phil Mickelson's controversial putt at U.S. Open

CROMWELL, Connecticut — The putt heard round the golf world by Phil Mickelson on Saturday at the U.S. Open has generated mostly compassion and a few laughs from his fellow professionals.

It also drew an apology from Mickelson.

All but out of contention at Shinnecock Hills, Mickelson stopped his 13th hole bogey putt as the ball was moving and hit it again. He was assessed a two-shot penalty.

“I saw what happened (after practice), and honestly, I laughed,” Rory McIlroy said. “I felt there was a massive overreaction to it. Knowing Phil, he knew what he was doing, and as a player who has been in that head space before in a tournament, I can see it happening.”

McIlroy and Jordan Spieth played the opening two rounds with Mickelson and witnessed how rapidly the putting conditions changed. Mickelson was the only one of the group to make the cut.

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“I thought they were the slowest U.S. Open greens I had ever putted on the first two days, and I was amazed how quickly they could get dicey,” Spieth said. “Phil knows the rules. If there was a chance it was going to go back behind the bunker, and he’s got to chip back, or he was going to play off the green anyway, so he was potentially saving himself a shot.

“So, if that was the intent, then what’s the harm in that.”

One player who was not amused by Mickelson’s actions was Jason Day, who had a harsher take on the incident.

“I think a lot of people think it’s funny, but it’s really unfortunate that is happened at the USGA’s tournament where they enforce the rules like (The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews),” Day said. “I think they may have, probably should have, enforced a different outcome for Phil.”

Day was in the minority when it came to a harsher penalty for Mickelson even though it was a rough week on the greens.

“Frustration wasn’t it?” said Paul Casey, who tied for 16th. “We were all frustrated. … I think the players felt his frustration.”

“I mean, obviously, he came out and he felt that he shouldn’t have (done it),” Justin Thomas said. “I guess what he said was he shouldn’t have done it. He was a little angry or something.

“I think he covers it all in what happened.”

Patrick Reed voiced his empathy for Mickelson.

‘‘Knowing Phil and knowing the USGA ... it's just kind of one of those things that sometimes you make a mistake,’’ Reed said. "I'm glad I wasn't in that situation where I didn't have to do something like that or didn't have to make the call of what happened afterwards.

‘’I felt like it was handled the best way that the USGA could handle the situation, and honestly, we just need Phil not to hit his putts over next time.’’