After securing a dramatic 15-13 Ryder Cup victory, Rory McIlroy delivered a powerful rebuke of the “unacceptable and abusive behavior” from American fans at Bethpage Black, stating that the American fans should utilise the energy to support their team instead of demeaning Europeans.
The Northern Irish professional golfer stated, “I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf.”
“I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week,” he added emphatically.
The hostility escalated beyond course banter, and insults were made against his family and personal life, distracting him as he was ready to strike.
Things got very personal on Saturday, September 27, when one of the fans threw a drink, which hit his wife, Erica.
“Erica is fine. She's a strong woman. She handled everything this week with class and poise and dignity like she always has. I love her and we're going to have a good time celebrating [this win],” he updated on his wife’s reaction to fans’ unacceptable behaviour.
Lowry added: "I was out there for two days with Erica McIlroy, and the amount of abuse that she received was astonishing."
The 36-year-old acknowledged that the passion of the crowd was not a surprise given that Luke Donald, the European captain, was training the team to stimulate the noise with virtual-reality goggles.
However, the line was crossed. “It should be off-limits, but it wasn't this week,” said McIlroy.
Although he acknowledged that he sometimes loses patience with bullies, McIlroy believed that the European team's final retaliation was their play, which silenced the fans and brought victory.
“It was a rough week for all of us, but at the same time, we shut them up by our performance,” he concluded, capping a triumphant yet tumultuous week that he still called “the best year of my career.”