The European flag around his neck and a sixth Ryder Cup trophy in hand, Rory McIlroy could finally let it all out.<\/p>\n
No other competitor in this 45th edition had endured what McIlroy had over the past three days at Bethpage Black, where he was subject to a constant barrage of heckling and personal attacks from the partisan New York crowd.<\/p>\n
They showered him with f-bombs.<\/p>\n
They insulted him, his family, his friends.<\/p>\n
Someone even launched a drink at his wife, Erica, on Saturday evening, hitting the brim of her hat.<\/p>\n
At times, the impulsive McIlroy gave it right back to those unruly spectators, and he went undefeated through four sessions, going 3-0-1. But on Sunday, McIlroy was worn down, eventually losing to Scottie Scheffler, 1 down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like I was running on empty today,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cI gave so much of myself the first two days, and I tried as hard as I could out there against Scottie. Scottie and I both didn\u2019t have our best. It was a bit of a pillow fight if I\u2019m honest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout the Europeans\u2019 press conference, McIlroy nursed a well-deserved drink \u2013 a beer, not the fizzy cocktail sold out on the golf course that came with a squeaky rubber duck, or for those jeering McIlroy, more ammunition. By the back nine of McIlroy\u2019s four-ball match alongside Shane Lowry on Saturday afternoon, the security presence had grown exponentially to what McIlroy called \u201cinsane\u201d levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish they had of let the dogs off the leashes,\u201d McIlroy quipped.<\/p>\n
McIlroy noted that he never worried for his physical safety. Justin Thomas, who faced McIlroy in Saturday four-balls, agreed, saying, \u201cThere was definitely some nasty things said, but I don\u2019t think anybody was necessarily fearing for their life or in any kind of situation where they were going to get hurt. Cam and I just wished that we gave them something to cheer for instead of people to cheer against. \u2026 I guess that\u2019s the New York fans for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
But that still didn\u2019t change McIlroy\u2019s opinion that a line was crossed by a \u201csmall subset of people\u201d in the galleries.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we should ever accept that in golf,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cI think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. Golf has the ability to you unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people. Sometimes this week we didn\u2019t see that. So no, this should not be what is acceptable in the Ryder Cup. But you know, we will be making sure to say to our fans in Ireland in 2027 that what happened here this week is not acceptable, and for me \u2026 I think if I was an American, I would be annoyed that people \u2013 I didn\u2019t hear a lot of shouts for Scottie today, but I heard a lot of shouts against me. It\u2019s like, support your players. That\u2019s the thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for his wife, McIlroy noted that she was fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a very, very strong woman,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cYou know, she handled everything this week with class and poise and dignity like she always has. I love her, and we\u2019re going to have a good time celebrating tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the full scene as Rory McIlroy\u2019s wife Erica got hit with a beer (glanced off her hat) on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Rory and Lowry had just won on 18 and he was coming back to 17 to cheer on the groups behind \u2014 and celebrate with Euro fans.<\/p>\n
Looked like someone hit the drink out\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/vdG4mAny1s<\/a><\/p>\n