Rory McIlroy found himself at the centre of controversy on Friday after appearing to raise his middle finger towards the raucous Bethpage Black crowd during a heated opening day of the Ryder Cup.
The Northern Irishman, who had earlier teamed up with Tommy Fleetwood to deliver a crushing 5&4 win over Collin Morikawa and Harris English in the morning foursomes, was back out for the afternoon fourballs alongside Shane Lowry against Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns.
With Europe holding a commanding 3-1 lead heading into the session, tensions quickly escalated as the partisan New York crowd turned up the volume.
The European duo went two up on the 11th hole, sparking jeers and chants from the home supporters. It was then that McIlroy appeared to respond.
In a clip that has gone viral across social media, McIlroy can be seen walking off the green, turning briefly towards the crowd and raising his left hand before striding on to the next tee.
Many viewers interpreted the gesture as a middle finger aimed at the hecklers.
The footage has divided opinion online. Supporters of the world No 2 hailed it as a sign of passion and defiance.
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Rory McIlroy found himself at the centre of controversy on Friday after appearing to raise his middle finger towards the raucous Bethpage Black crowd during a heated opening day of the Ryder Cup
|X/REUTERS
“Well, that’s one way to respond to the crowd,” wrote one user on X. Another added: “Guarantee whoever it was deserved it,” while a third quipped: “Don’t particularly like Rory but I don’t mind it – good to see some fight in him.”
Others criticised McIlroy’s apparent reaction, suggesting the Americans had succeeded in getting under his skin.
“He should chill,” one US fan commented, while another posted: “Means we’re doing our job.”
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Rory McIlroy was heckled by American fans at Bethpage Black amid his quest to inspire Team Europe to glory at the Ryder Cup
|REUTERS
McIlroy, 36, ultimately halved the match with Lowry, missing the chance to extend Europe’s lead but ensuring Luke Donald’s team finished day one with the upper hand.
Watching from outside the ropes was McIlroy’s wife Erica Stoll, who has been a visible presence throughout the week, leading the European partners in their support and spotted wearing a cream blouse and statement jewellery.
The incident has thrown further spotlight on the intensity of this year’s Ryder Cup atmosphere.
Bethpage Black is famed for its boisterous crowds, and European captain Donald had taken the unusual step of using virtual reality headsets and hired actors to simulate heckling during practice sessions in a bid to prepare his players.
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Rory McIlroy was cheered on by wife Erica Stoll at the Ryder Cup
| GETTY“I think my job as captain is to prepare the guys for every scenario,” Donald explained earlier this week.
“Obviously there’s a bunch of us in our team that have experienced away crowds – maybe not New York – and we’ve certainly talked about it as a group.
“The crowd factor is certainly one aspect that I’ve been looking at but it’s just one element of the preparation to make sure these guys are ready.”
With two days still to play, the drama only looks set to intensify. How it plays out in the coming days remains to be seen.