Rory McIlroy had to deal with volatile live fans heckling him throughout his Ryder Cup match. This confusion derailed his daily routine as well as his emotional stability. As he prepared to shoot his free throws, booing and taunting began ringing out—all directed at him. On that specific instance, he delivered the retort with a harsh, “Shut the f- up!” This exchange, though, between the player and the fan, sums up the challenge of playing in an away Ryder Cup. That’s incredibly difficult at an open-ended venue like Bethpage State Park.
Disruptions started early on McIlroy’s round. The home fans harassed him to such an extent that he was unable to focus on his pre-shot choreography. He had to roll his ball back on numerous holes on many days. That was particularly noticeable on the 4th green, where the noise from fans reached a deafening crescendo. Just before the launch, marshals and rules officials had raised their arms, trying to get fans to hush. They contested McIlroy’s choice to deliberate as he attempted to move on with his atmosphere.
On the 11th green, the situation escalated. Multiple marshals and officials struggled to control the crowd, attempting to maintain some semblance of order as McIlroy aimed to concentrate. Fellow European Shane Lowry saw what was going on and stood up for McIlroy, calling out the crowd for booing and jeering his teammate.
“Being out with Rory doesn’t make it any easier. I think he’s getting the brunt of it.” – Shane Lowry
The heckling was vicious. It was full of nasty comments about McIlroy’s golfing talent and hits below the belt on his life and marriage. The heat was palpable as things came to a head when Lowry decided to give the Irish fans what they needed on the 10th. To settle the matter, he summoned a state trooper. The trooper ejected a fan so quickly for directing an inappropriate comment towards McIlroy right before he was about to tee off.
Even with all the noise, McIlroy was able to compartmentalize everything until a true turning point on 14. With the competition tied, he made a very important birdie putt. He retrieved his ball from the cup and celebrated like he had just won the Masters, relieving a pressure cooker of frustration that had seeped into his entire day.
“It was intense. It was like something I’ve never experienced,” – Shane Lowry
Rory McIlroy didn’t hold back in describing his experience playing this year’s Ryder Cup away from home. He had anticipated a certain level of crowd engagement, but he was taken aback by the amount and timing of the heckling. As a result, it specifically contributed to his inattention and inability to focus.
“Whenever they are still doing it while you are over the ball and trying to hit your shot, that’s the tough thing.” – Rory McIlroy
After his victory McIlroy was in the media scrum. He labelled the experience as one that was “really, really hard” but focused on the fact that it was unlike anything he had ever encountered in his professional career. He further stressed that as daunting as the challenge may be, this is the kind of place that fuels him as a competitor.
“Look, when you play an away Ryder Cup it’s really, really challenging,” – Rory McIlroy
Sure enough, by Saturday afternoon, almost 20 NYS police troopers had lined the ropes around the 9th hole. As chaos became the new normal, they provided personal security for McIlroy even as protests persisted. Two supporters were ejected during his match, adding to the picture of increased tempers on the day.
Lowry echoed McIlroy’s sentiments about the atmosphere, stating that they were aware of what they might face at this particular venue and recognized how tough it could be.
“We knew what we were going to get coming here. It was a very tough day,” – Shane Lowry
Leave a Reply