FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Rory McIlroy, the target of constant heckling at Bethpage Black, called the fans’ behavior unacceptable and said Americans should have been supporting their own players, not using that energy to insult the Europeans.
“I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy said Sunday after Europe finished off a 15-13 win against the United States. “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.”
Over the course of three days, McIlroy was the subject of a number of insults and jeers — some involving his wife and family, others as he was in the process of hitting a shot — that caused delays and prompted the PGA of America to add extra security.
“The police out there and the amount of security presence was insane,” McIlroy said. “Look, nothing was going to happen. There wasn’t going to be a physical altercation or anything like that. … There was a lot of language that was unacceptable and abusive behavior.”
On Saturday, McIlroy played alongside Shane Lowry, and the two received constant verbal abuse throughout the afternoon. Two people were thrown off the course, according to a New York State police spokesperson, and the PGA of America added security to the group and increased fan behavior warning signs.
Sunday’s singles sessions did not feature as many alterations or situations in the galleries, but McIlroy still was often targeted by fans throughout his match with Scottie Scheffler.
“I think if I was an American, I would be annoyed,” he said. “I didn’t hear a lot of shouts for Scottie today, but I heard a lot of shouts against me. It’s like, support your players. That’s the thing.”
Justin Thomas, who played against McIlroy and Lowry on Saturday, acknowledged the kind of things fans shouted at the European stars.
“Cam [Young] and I said it to Shane and Rory yesterday that we felt for them. It was unfortunate,” Thomas said. “Cam and I just wished that we gave them something to cheer for instead of people to cheer against. I think that was kind of the main consensus of the last two days, that we weren’t giving them enough to cheer for, and they were just trying to help us win. I guess that’s the New York fans for you.”
A video on social media showed Lowry having to be held back by his caddie as a fan said something before McIlroy hit a drive Saturday. Another video showed McIlroy walking with his wife, Erica, when a beer appeared to be thrown in their direction and hit her.
“I was out there for two days with Erica McIlroy, and the amount of abuse that she received was astonishing,” Lowry said. “And the way she was out there supporting her husband and supporting her team was unbelievable, and kudos to her for that.”
McIlroy said he doesn’t exactly have a blueprint for when he responds to fans and bases it on impulse, but that it felt “very f—ing satisfying” to tell a fan to “shut the f— up” as he did Saturday morning when one yelled during his pre-shot routine before he hit his approach to a few feet on the 16th hole.
“I chirped back a few times because it got to me a few times, but we tried to handle everything that came our way with class and poise, and for the most part, I felt like we did that,” McIlroy said. “It was a rough week for all of us, but at the same time, we shut them up by our performance.”
