Rory McIlroy said the abuse from fans at this week’s Ryder Cup “got to me a few times” as disappointed American fans focused their ire on the Northern Irishman during the tournament.
“Look, I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy said Sunday after Europe beat the United States 15-13. “I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. … It was a rough week for all of us.
“But at the same time, we shut them up by our performance and how we played, and we tried to. I chirped back a few times because it got to me a few times, but we tried to handle everything that came our way with class and poise, and for the most part, I felt like we did that.”
While playing with Shane Lowry in the first match of the Saturday afternoon session at Bethpage Black, McIlroy repeatedly had to step away from his golf ball as spectators shouted obscenities and personal insults at the career Grand Slam winner.
The PGA of America, which runs the Ryder Cup, and others involved in the match took action. At least 20 police officers were on or around the tee box at No. 10, some of them on bicycles, in an attempt to dissuade spectators. The United States’ Justin Thomas, who was playing with Cameron Young against McIlroy and Lowry, waved down the crowd on every green to make it reasonably quiet for McIlroy and Lowry to putt.
McIlroy backed off a putt on No. 4 when somebody yelled an obscenity directed at him. He waited a bit, backed off, talked to Lowry, then missed the putt. McIlroy then went over and spoke to a rules official. A more noticeable police presence became apparent shortly thereafter.
While in the fairway on the 16th hole, fans continued to yell at McIlroy while he went through his pre-shot routine. He turned and directed an obscenity back at them, which was caught on video and quickly shared on X.
On Sunday, McIlroy said he chooses to interact with fans on “impulse.”
“Honestly, I’d say it’s just on impulse,” McIlroy said. “Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. I’m quite an impulsive character, if you haven’t noticed. Sometimes I’ll engage, and sometimes I’ll catch myself and refrain.”
He called the increased police presence “insane” and said, “There was a lot of language that was unacceptable and abusive behavior.”
McIlroy was involved in another confrontation with fans Saturday after someone threw a beer at his wife, Erica, while the McIlroys were walking to the 17th green to cheer on his teammates. Erica turned around, looking shocked, and an angry McIlroy rushed over to her. A Team Europe official held back McIlroy, who checked on his wife, and then the couple walked away from the crowd.
McIlroy said abuse directed toward golfers’ families “should be off limits” and said his wife “handled everything this week with class and poise and dignity like she always has.”
Europe’s victory Sunday marked the first time that either side has won a Ryder Cup on foreign soil since 2012. The tournament was a wipeout for the first two days, as Europe stormed to a quick lead. The Americans entered Sunday seeking to erase a seven-point deficit and got close, losing by only two points.
(Photo: Paul Childs / Reuters via Imagn Images)