Rory McIlroy, the new Masters champion, has long won what are known as the “majors”—the game’s most valuable golf tournament wins. It’s been a dream ten month stretch for his overall career. The Northern Irish golfer made headlines recently when he discussed an embarrassing incident at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. He and his team suffered nonstop verbal harassment, threats and even physical attacks by the crowd. The scene turned to pandemonium almost instantly when an errant beer from the stands hit McIlroy’s wife, Erica, in the face. In turn, Derek Sprague immediately issued an apology and promised that he would personally call both McIlroy and his wife.
It’s been a triumphal year for McIlroy, with episodes of brushfire, while his golf has occasionally defied belief. This year, he won his first major as a professional – the Masters. He won convincingly at the Players Championship, Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Irish Open. He’s already looking ahead toward the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. As he practices, he thinks back on all he’s accomplished and must contend with the dangers of ferocious mobs.
While captaining their respective teams at last month’s Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald had their players heckled and abused at every turn. Even so, McIlroy kept a long view and optimistic mindset on the week.
“I take it as a compliment that they targeted me, but then at the same time, it was a tough week,” – Rory McIlroy
In a crazy twist, McIlroy got a personal email from Sprague too. Still, Sprague understood the emotional toll the event had taken on McIlroy and his wife. Their bond goes back, as Erica used to work alongside Sprague while she was at the PGA of America.
“I got a lovely email from Derek Sprague apologizing,” – Rory McIlroy
McIlroy added that the hostile environment at Bethpage ended up toughening his team’s determination.
“That made us better as a team. It galvanized us and it really put our arms around each other,” – Rory McIlroy
Europe came into the last match of the Ryder Cup with a commanding edge. They took on the United States in a nailbiter of a finish to the tournament. The U.S. team made an impressive comeback, but ultimately lost out to the Europeans again.
Reflecting on his incredible year, McIlroy expressed gratitude for his accomplishments and acknowledged the unexpected turn of events that unfolded throughout this period.
“Honestly, in my wildest dreams, I didn’t know. I mean, I knew a year like this was possible, but it has just been an amazing 10 months,” – Rory McIlroy
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