A shocking moment unfolded at Bethpage Black when Rory McIlroy's wife, Erica Stoll, is said to have been struck by a drink hurled from the hostile crowd during Saturday's Ryder Cup four-ball session.
Video footage captured the Northern Irish golfer immediately rushing to check on his wife, brushing something from her cap whilst asking "Are you okay?"
Security personnel quickly surrounded the couple as concerned onlookers reported hearing someone shout that a drink had been thrown at her.
The incident left Stoll visibly shaken, with witnesses noting she glanced back towards the crowd with a stern look at whoever she believed responsible.
Rory McIlroy's wife, Erica Stoll, was apparently struck by a drink hurled from the hostile crowd during Saturday's Ryder Cup four-ball session
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The abuse directed at McIlroy throughout the day went far beyond typical sporting banter.
The relentless heckling forced McIlroy to repeatedly step away from his shots as spectators hurled profanities and vulgar comments.
At one point, Rory McIlroy refused to putt for four minutes until the crowd was quiet
| REUTERSComedian and first tee emcee, Heather McMahan, quit her role at the tournament after leading chants, singing, "F*** you, Rory!"
The Northern Irishman later admitted the whole experience had left him "drained", acknowledging that while he expected hostility at an away Ryder Cup, the timing of the abuse whilst attempting shots made it particularly challenging.
McIlroy's frustration boiled over on the 6th hole when he refused to continue playing until the crowd quietened down.
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Rory McIlroy let out a roar of emotion after another terrific day on the course
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"I won't play until they shut up," he told officials after being jeered mid-putt, before draining an 11-footer once the noise subsided.
He also told a fan - who screamed "freedom" while McIlroy was practicing his swing - to "shut the f*** up".
His emotions peaked on the 14th when he sank a crucial nine-foot birdie putt, roaring "Let's f****** go!" whilst pumping his fists at the grandstand.
Earlier, he'd told the crowd to "shut the f*** up" before nailing a clutch putt on the 17th.
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Playing partner Shane Lowry also lost his temper, appearing to confront a heckler with his own expletive-laden response as tensions reached breaking point.
Despite the day's chaos, McIlroy and Stoll maintained a powerful image of solidarity as they walked arm-in-arm off the 18th green.
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Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll have been together since 2014 and share a daughter, Poppy
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The couple embraced after McIlroy and Lowry secured their tense fourball victory over Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, bringing Europe closer to Ryder Cup triumph.
The pair's united front came less than a year after McIlroy filed for divorce in May 2024, citing their marriage as "irretrievably broken".
The golfer dramatically withdrew this just weeks later, however, with the couple resolving their differences and committing to a fresh start together.
The pair are said to have been strong since McIlroy filed for divorce and then retracted last year
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McIlroy has described their near-divorce as a "wake-up call", telling reporters: "Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised our best future was as a family together."
The golfer previously praised their relationship's foundation, noting they were friends before romance blossomed, which he called "huge" for someone in his position.
The couple's relationship began as a friendship in 2012 when Stoll, then a PGA transport official, helped McIlroy reach a tournament on time after he overslept.
They became romantically involved in 2014 following his split from Wozniacki, marrying at Ireland's Ashford Castle in 2017 and welcoming daughter Poppy in 2020.