As the 2025 Ryder Cup commenced, the primary focus revolved around the anticipation of the New York spectators, expected to be the largest and most boisterous in the event’s history. This potentially intimidating setting was predicted to propel the Americans to victory; however, as Saturday’s matches concluded, the situation had transformed into something beyond acceptable boundaries.
The United States team’s less-than-stellar showing caused a progressive transition in the crowd’s behavior, shifting from encouragement of the American competitors to targeting the European contingent. More specifically, their attention was directed toward Europe’s team leader, Rory McIlroy. Although scattered instances occurred earlier in the week, the situation escalated considerably on Saturday afternoon as McIlroy had to interrupt his play on several occasions due to spectators crossing acceptable boundaries through their verbal conduct and the timing of their remarks.
“I firmly believe that such behavior should never be tolerated within the realm of golf. Golf, in my opinion, should maintain a higher degree of decorum than what transpired this week,” McIlroy stated on Sunday evening following Europe’s triumph. “Golf possesses the power to unite individuals. It imparts valuable life lessons, encompassing etiquette, adherence to regulations, and respect for others.
“Regrettably, these principles were not consistently observed this week,” McIlroy continued. “Therefore, this should not be considered acceptable at the Ryder Cup. However, we will undoubtedly emphasize to our supporters in Ireland in 2027 that the events that unfolded here this week are unacceptable.”
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As McIlroy and Shane Lowry progressed to the latter half of their contest against Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, the perimeter was densely packed with numerous state troopers and police officers. This unusual spectacle for a golfing event never truly confronted the fundamental issues.
“I think authorities should have unleashed the security. The police and the level of security were crazy,” McIlroy remarked. “However, there was never a risk of anything physical. In fact, the only real heat was between Tommy and Rosey up to the 16th tee yesterday. But there was also a lot of language and overall behavior that wasn’t acceptable.
“Now, that being said, it’s just a few bad apples,” McIlroy clarified. “The vast majority of fans are respectable and want both teams to play fairly. But some people simply behaved badly.”
Erica, McIlroy’s wife, was also subjected to some of that nasty treatment while walking along with the group. A fan even threw a beer at the McIlroys after the Saturday round, which struck Erica’s hat and almost caused a major issue.
“That should be out of the question, but clearly wasn’t this week,” McIlroy replied when asked about the fan targeting and the incident with Erica. “Erica is doing fine, she’s a very strong lady. She handled it all with class, dignity, and poise, as she always does. I’m very proud and can’t wait to go celebrate with her tonight.”
“I spent two days with Erica McIlroy, and I was shocked at how much abuse she took,” Lowry added. “The manner in which she was supportive of her husband and the team was unbelievable, and she deserves a lot of credit for that.”
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McIlroy stressed how the mood shifted once the U.S. team began losing, switching from cheering on the Americans to actively making things difficult for the Europeans. This was clear early Saturday when the crowd was constantly chanting “F— you, Rory” on the first tee. The PA announcer even repeated the chant over the mic and then quit his job later.
“The way I see it, you should support your team when they play at home,” McIlroy stated. “If I was American, I would be mad that people weren’t cheering for Scottie, but instead were trying to bring me down. What you need to do is get behind your team.
“We all had a difficult time this week. But we were able to quiet them down through our actions and how well we played,” McIlroy wrapped up. “I tried to not let it get to me, but I did fire back from time to time. Overall, I believe we conducted ourselves with class.”
McIlroy was exhausted by the end of the week, admitting he didn’t have much energy left for his match against Scottie Scheffler on Sunday. Yet, he still had some shining moments in the face of the crowd, like his approach to No. 16 on Saturday.
Before that shot, he had to pause and tell someone in the gallery to “shut the f— up.” When asked how good it felt to say that and then pull off the shot to win the match, McIlroy kept it short and sweet.
“It felt damn good.”
