Europe hero left stunned at the words of American supremo and also his demeanour at the Ryder Cup trophy ceremony
16:53, 01 Oct 2025Updated 19:01, 01 Oct 2025
Matt Fitzpatrick of Team Europe looks at the Ryder Cup trophy
No-nonsense Matt Fitzpatrick has taken a flamethrower to PGA of America chief Don Rea.
Europe’s Ryder Cup hero blasted the supremo’s abrasive comments regarding crowd behaviour in Rome two years ago as offensive to home fans.
And Fitzpatrick also felt there was bitterness in the air as Rea handed the cherished trophy back to Luke Donald’s team in New York.
Team USA captain Keegan Bradley disgusted Euro fans when, in answer to the shameful Saturday scenes at Bethpage, he used the word “violent” in a bid to suggest American players suffered similar fire in Italy.
Rea later appeared on a BBC interview after Rory McIlroy’s wife Erica was almost hit on the head by a beer can to say that it “happened when we were in Rome.”
Fitzpatrick insists such remarks are simply not on and rifled back: “I saw the interview with the PGA guy discussing about it was the same in Rome. It’s pretty offensive to European fans the fact that he said that, really.
“I don’t want to speak on behalf of everyone, but we did feel there was a little bit of bitterness when they presented the trophy.
“What the The PGA of America guy said about it was the same in Rome, he clearly wasn’t there. I guess he wasn’t there or he must have been listening to something else because it was just never the case that it was anything like that. It’s always been playful and just banter, really.
“There was the whole incident [hat waving at Patrick Cantlay], it was a creative chant, it was hilarious. That to me is what makes the European fans, that’s what makes the atmosphere so good. I don’t have any worries about European fans [at Adare Manor 2027].
“Saturday [Bethpage] afternoon, it’s one of the best things I’ve seen in my entire life, the chanting, the cheering, the songs. That’s what makes the European fans so good is the creativeness, not just shouting random obscenities.
“The best that I heard all week was “Is this a library” chant, “Is there a fire drill” chant. They all come from football and that’s what makes them so funny.
“That is what makes European fans so great versus American fans. Not to say all American fans are giving the abuse because they are not. It’s only a small few. They can’t control what comes out of everyone’s mouth, there’s no doubt about it.
“I wouldn’t say we were looking for an apology. I’ve had a number of friends who are American send messages, texts, all sorts, apologising for the fans and saying really sorry that you had to deal with that stuff, but we knew what we were going to deal with. We expected this, anyway. So it wasn’t an issue.”
Asked to explain the bitterness remark, Fitzpatrick said: “Me and Rosey [Justin Rose] both looked at each other as if to say: That wasn’t a very heartfelt congratulations, I know that. And he said we only retained it, but actually we won it, so….”
(Image: Getty Images)
Fitzpatrick’s parents didn’t even go to Bethpage due to the awful behaviour they had to endure four years earlier at Whistling Straits and instead headed to Scotland to get ready for the Alfred Dunhill Links.
But the Sheffield star was unmoved to be amongst Donald’s biggest titans in New York and said: “Obviously it would have been nice to have my parents there to experience it, but you never know if it would be the same if they had been there.
“People were giving me abuse about my braces. They were giving me abuse about my Skechers. That was kind of the extent that I heard. I’m sure there were probably worse that I didn’t hear.
“Rory [Mclroy], Shane [Lowry], in particular, got a lot worse, I guess. And you see clips of various things being shouted out. Obviously, it wasn’t great, and like Rory said, it wasn’t acceptable. I know things have been said about what players have replied to the crowd, which in my opinion, is warranted given what they gave in the first place.
“So, yeah, I think mum and dad not being there probably made sense. They probably wouldn’t have necessarily enjoyed that atmosphere.
“I was in contact with them over text, asking how it was. I shared the ins and outs of the atmosphere. I think they were pretty happy with the decision.
“In terms of my own performance, it was obviously my best Ryder Cup to date by some distance.”
Fitzpatrick got stick about being first to bed at the party, but smiled: “Yeah, listen, I’m not a drinker. I don’t drink at all. It’s not my thing. I don’t like the taste and the feel the next day, that’s for sure.
“But it’s funny, we wake up Monday, you’re getting your stuff together and the week is over, you say goodbye to everyone. To be honest, it feels a bit depressing. I feel quite sad about it all. It’s easily one of the best weeks of my life. It is right up there with winning the US Open. Something I’ll never forget and you just wish you could do that over and over and over again. Playing individual golf again actually feels pretty sad if I’m honest.”