Shane Lowry had to be held back by his caddie as Ryder Cup chaos erupted on a bruising Saturday at Bethpage Black.
The Irishman snapped on the 10th tee after once again being subjected to a volley of foul-mouthed abuse from the home crowd.
By that point, several spectators had already been ejected during the afternoon fourballs, but tensions hit boiling point as Lowry and Rory McIlroy faced Justin Thomas and Cameron Young.
Lowry was preparing to drive when the heckling intensified. Thomas himself asked fans to show respect, but the jeers continued regardless.
Shane Lowry was seen shouting at fans on the course
|SKY SPORTS
The crowd eventually fell silent for his shot, only to rain down boos as McIlroy stepped up. The Masters champion responded by smashing his drive straight down the fairway – but his partner had had enough.
Lowry stormed towards the gallery, jabbing a finger at one fan in a white cap. Caddie Darren Reynolds quickly put an arm across his chest to stop the confrontation, though Lowry demanded the heckler be removed.
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New York State Police duly escorted the man away, sparking chants of “let him stay” from nearby supporters.
The PGA of America later confirmed security had been stepped up, saying: “We have added security and State Police to Match No. 1 as well as the other three matches in today’s afternoon four-balls.”
A further statement added: “Additionally, the frequency of fan behaviour messaging on video boards across the golf course has increased. We will continue to closely monitor fan behaviour and take appropriate action.”
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Rory McIlroy refused to play for over four minutes due to fans being rude
| GETTYIt was not the first flashpoint of the day. Earlier, Lowry had been forced to tell a supporter to “f**k off” on the fourth hole after enduring repeated taunts. Tempers then flared again on the sixth green, this time with McIlroy the target.
The Northern Irishman was lining up a lengthy birdie putt from around 34 feet but was forced to back away twice as boos and jeers rang out across the green. McIlroy appeared to explain to both Thomas and Young — as well as the nearby crowd — that he would not hit his putt until the noise died down. That stand-off lasted four minutes before play resumed.
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Even then, the abuse didn’t relent, with McIlroy visibly rattled. But Lowry, showing remarkable composure in the storm, drained a brilliant birdie putt to halve the hole and keep Europe in the fight.
Bethpage Black has long carried a reputation for its intense and sometimes hostile New York crowds, but Saturday’s events took that reputation to another level.
Europe are currently leading the Ryder Cup
|REUTERS
With Europe battling to keep their noses in front, both Lowry and McIlroy found themselves fighting not only their American opponents, but also the gallery determined to unsettle them.
The Ryder Cup is no stranger to drama, but the ugly mood in New York has added a combustible edge that shows no sign of easing ahead of Sunday’s singles.