The Ryder Cup is no stranger to noisy crowds, but this past weekend’s vibe at Bethpage Black in New York went from excited to downright disgusting! Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, who are usually able to endure pressure, faced personal and foul-mouthed taunts from American fans, which led them to complain to referee Mike Raby. Hours after Europe established its hold on the Ryder Cup with a significant lead, McIlroy and Lowry teed off first against Justin Thomas and Cameron Young in Saturday’s afternoon fourballs.
But the Irish pair soon discovered they were against more than golf balls and greens, but a wall of chants from the gallery. Lowry lost patience by the third tee. One spectator allegedly launched offensive comments about McIlroy’s marriage after a round of boos. The players’ breaking point was clear when Lowry turned and yelled, “shut the f— up, you f—— a——-.” Earlier in the day, McIlroy already laid down the rules when he called out at spectators on the 16th hole to “shut the f— up” in response to several taunts. The anger grew.
When McIlroy lined up a putt on the fourth green at the Ryder Cup, a fan yelled, “f— you, Rory,” forcing him to back off. Referee Raby got heckled despite his efforts to control the crowd. The hostile atmosphere came to light when a fan heckled a police officer, forcing McIlroy’s former SAS bodyguard to jump in. Another round of abuse prompted McIlroy to step away mid-putt on the sixth green. Loud, mocking cheers met his final miss. Even their American opponents, Thomas and Young, got visibly irritated by those who supported them and raised their hands to call for silence. The jeers began to pour down, and Lowry just shrugged at them.
But this was not the first point of conflict. McIlroy and Lowry were seen on camera scowling at the Ryder Cup’s Bethpage crowd a day ago. After getting similar verbal abuse, Lowry returned with an act after McIlroy gave the fans behind the 11th green his middle finger. There was a heated debate about whether or not the players had gone too far or if the public was what drove them there after footage of the incident went viral.
Later, McIlroy said he tries to “find a balance” between letting crowds at the Ryder Cup affect him and cashing in on their vigor. “In between shots, say whatever you want (…) that’s totally fine,” he said. “But just let us (…) hit shots, and give us the same chance that the Americans have.” Lowry echoed that view, saying that the two dug deep, even with their differences, making it hard to pay attention. “[It was] what we expected (…) rowdy and lively. They made it difficult,” McIlroy said. “Shane and I handled that really well.”
Long regarded as golf’s version of football games, the Ryder Cup allows fans to chant, jeer, and create an energetic environment rarely seen on the PGA Tour. But when hecklers harass players in shots and target their homes, it becomes much worse. McIlroy and Lowry’s protest showed rare resistance in a situation where athletes tend to smile and take it all in calmly. The golf itself is already in danger of being drowned out by Bethpage’s ugly crowd behavior, though Europe still keeps its cool. The fans, not just the fairways, are now directly in the spotlight, though it is unclear if the abuse will fracture Europe’s spirit or shake their confidence.
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