Rory McIlroy declared it was “very f*****g satisfying” to silence the New York hecklers as Europe claimed a thrilling Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black.
The Briton delivered 3.5 points across the three days, playing a key role in Europe’s 15–13 triumph over the United States, but much of his week was spent dealing with relentless hostility from the home crowd.
The atmosphere turned toxic at times, with police and security forced to intervene as abuse crossed the line.
McIlroy admitted the barrage pushed him to breaking point, but insisted Europe’s golf did the talking. “It was a rough week for all of us. But at the same time, we shut them up by our performance and how we played,” he said.
Rory McIlroy was very happy with the Ryder Cup win after a difficult week with the away fans
|REUTERS
“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.”
The 35-year-old was targeted during Saturday’s matches in particular, snapping back at one fan to “shut the f**k up” before roaring “I’m really f*****g good” in response to another heckle as he and Shane Lowry battled through a fiery fourballs clash.
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Security was tightened as the day wore on, with police officers and K9 units brought in to monitor the galleries. While a number of supporters were ejected, McIlroy joked afterwards he would have liked to see the dogs play a bigger role.
“I wish they had let the dogs off the leashes,” he said. “The police out there and the amount of security presence was insane. Nothing was going to happen physically, but the language and the abusive behaviour were unacceptable. We shouldn’t ever accept that in golf.”
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Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry celebrated the win in style after a difficult week
|REUTERS
The hostility was not limited to McIlroy. His wife Erica was subjected to abuse throughout the weekend, including verbal abuse and having a drink thrown in her direction on Saturday.
All of it came within earshot of McIlroy, who praised her resilience. “It should be off-limits, but obviously it wasn’t this week,” he said. “Erica is fine. She’s very, very strong. She handled everything with class, poise and dignity like she always has. I love her and we’re going to have a good time celebrating tonight.”
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Lowry, who played alongside McIlroy in that volatile fourball, also paid tribute to his teammate's wife saying: “I was out there for two days with her and the amount of abuse she received was astonishing,
“The way she supported Rory and the team was unbelievable, and kudos to her for that.”
Erica Stoll looked in much higher spirits on Sunday then during the previous day's action
|REUTERS
Despite losing his singles match to world number one Scottie Scheffler on Sunday — a contest he jokingly called a “pillow fight” — McIlroy could still savour Europe’s hard-fought triumph.
And for him, the most satisfying answer to the abuse was simple: winning the Ryder Cup in enemy territory.