The comedian who sparked outrage at the Ryder Cup has lost her position after encouraging offensive chants against Rory McIlroy at Bethpage Black.
Heather McMahan stepped down from her first tee emcee duties following Saturday's controversial incident where she used a megaphone to lead vile chants targeted towards the Northern Irish golfer.
The 38-year-old American actress and comedian reportedly apologised to McIlroy after her actions drew widespread condemnation.
Her departure came after she shouted "F*** you Rory", before the morning matches, encouraging spectators to join in.
Heather McMahan sparked outrage at the Ryder Cup after encouraging offensive chants against Rory McIlroy at Bethpage Black
|REUTERS
The PGA confirmed McMahan left her role following the incident. Emcees at prestigious golf events are expected to remain neutral and promote good sportsmanship.
The incident triggered fierce criticism on social media, with golf fans expressing their disgust at McMahan's behaviour.
One X user wrote: "Someone on the payroll of the @PGA, who was paid to lead the crowd in chants, led them in a 'F*** you, Rory' this morning as parents sat in the stands with their kids at the @rydercup. This is the state of golf in America, 2025."
Another furious fan posted: "Heard the audio of this. It's a disgrace if that person is the emcee again on the first tee tomorrow. All for getting the crowd riled up but that's deplorable."
Team Europe, and Rory McIlroy in particular, has suffered vile abuse throughout the weekend
|REUTERS
The PGA of America confirmed to BBC Sport that the American has extended an apology to McIlroy, saying: "Heather has extended an apology to Rory Mcllroy and Ryder Cup Europe and has stepped down from hosting the first tee of the Ryder Cup.”
McMahan isn't a sports professional but has built a successful entertainment career.
Since 2019, she's hosted the "Absolutely Not" podcast, which she calls a "safe space for us to tell-all and b**** about the rest".
She's released comedy specials with Netflix and Hulu and boasts 850,000 Instagram followers.
Her connection to golf comes through her husband Jeff Daniels, a keen player, leading her to describe herself as a "golf widow".
This is utterly disgraceful. Whoever this MC is, she should not be allowed near any PGA event again, let alone the #RyderCup. The PGA's silence on the matter is sickening.https://t.co/uaESdJ75kF pic.twitter.com/OXpsUm5Q6B
— Andy Burge 🌊🇬🇧🇪🇺🏳️🌈 (@AndyGJBurge) September 27, 2025
The backlash was swift and overwhelming, with many pointing out that families with children were present in the grandstands when McMahan initiated the offensive chanting.
McIlroy initially responded to the "F*** you, Rory" chants by blowing kisses to the crowd behind the first tee. But as the day progressed and the abuse intensified, his patience wore thin.
McMahan's actions set the tone for what became a day of relentless abuse directed at McIlroy, as hostile atmosphere persisted throughout Saturday's matches.
The world No2 faced continuous heckling during his four-ball partnership with Shane Lowry against Justin Thomas and Cameron Young.
At one point, he waited four minutes at the sixth hole, stepping away from his shot twice as the crowd refused to settle.
The abuse turned particularly nasty as fans hurled personal insults, with some even targeting McIlroy's wife Erica Stoll with offensive names.
At one point, Rory McIlroy even refused to putt for four minutes until the crowd was quiet.
| REUTERSSeveral spectators were ejected from the venue as security presence increased and messages appeared on screens reminding fans about proper conduct.
The breaking point came at the 16th hole during his foursomes match with Tommy Fleetwood. When a spectator yelled "Freedom!" whilst he prepared to swing, McIlroy stopped and shouted back "Shut the f*** up!"
Rory McIlroy told one fan to 'shut the f*** up' after he shouted during the Northern Irishman's practice swing
|X
Despite the disruption, he played a brilliant shot onto the green, allowing Fleetwood to sink the putt. The pair secured a victory over Collin Morikawa and Harris English.
Team Europe captain Luke Donald later accused the crowd of "crossing the line" with their behaviour towards his players.
Despite the day's chaos, McIlroy remained philosophical about away Ryder Cup challenges.
"I don't mind them having a go at us. That's to be expected," he told reporters. "In between shots, say whatever you want to me. That's totally fine. But just let us hit shots."