Bradley declines to condemn hostile Ryder Cup fans as taunts escalate; McIlroy faces personal-life taunts at Bethpage

Keegan Bradley declined to condemn the abusive scenes surrounding the Ryder Cup’s second day at Bethpage Black, as Europe stretched its lead over Team USA to seven points by day’s end. The atmosphere grew tense and acrimonious, with spectators hurling personal insults at Europe’s stars and at times prompting on-course friction between players and caddies.

Bradley faced a battery of questions from reporters about the crowd and whether his team’s performance had fueled the hostility. He described the fans as passionate, saying, “I thought the fans were passionate. Their home team is getting beat bad. You know, they are passionate fans.” He added that he had not witnessed Rome-like violence but noted that “the fans of New York… are pretty good,” while acknowledging that “a few people cross the line, and that’s unfortunate.” Later, he backtracked, saying, “I did not say that. That’s not what I said. I said the fans are probably upset that their home team is losing. I did not say that.” He also pushed back when a reporter pointed to players such as Collin Morikawa who had referenced “chaos” earlier in the week, telling the journalist, “I don’t appreciate those words that you just said. I know what you’re trying to do.” Bradley stressed that the Ryder Cup is a competition filled with passion and that what happened that day was not right.

Europe’s captain Luke Donald insisted the charged atmosphere fired his players up rather than hindered them. He said, “Things got tougher out there, and it fired them up even more. They were able to get better through those difficult moments out there.” He also defended his squad’s focus, noting that personal insults and off-routine noises crossed a line that he said had been anticipated and managed before. Around the 12th tee, police were stationed with Bryson DeChambeau’s group amid fears that tensions could spill over. Three holes later, a flare of controversy broke out on the 15th with a confrontation between Rose and DeChambeau’s caddie, Greg Bodine, while Fleetwood stood between Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott and European vice-captain Franco Molinari as the players walked off the 15th green.

Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica publicly kept a united front after a day dominated by taunts aimed at McIlroy and, more pointedly, at Erica and other aspects of his personal life. McIlroy, paired with Shane Lowry, defeated Justin Thomas and Cameron Young as Europe closed in on victory. He acknowledged that playing away at a Ryder Cup is “really, really challenging” and said he was drained after the day’s events, praising Lowry for steadying him under pressure. “When you play an away Ryder Cup, it’s really, really challenging. People can be their own judge of whether they took it too far or not. I’m proud of us being able to win with what we had to go through,” he said, before adding that Erica’s support was crucial as they faced a torrent of comments about their life together. Erica McIlroy stood by her husband as the pair walked off the 18th green arm in arm after the victory, a moment of defiance amid the crowd noise.

The day culminated with Europe’s advantage looking insurmountable as the crowd’s behavior drew attention away from the golf itself. Organizers increased security presence, and law enforcement remained on alert as accusations and counter-accusations circulated among attendees and media. By dusk, the Ryder Cup’s narrative had shifted from a showcase of late-September golf to a test of how organizers, players, and spectators navigate a charged, televised environment. While Bradley walked back his initial comments to some extent, the broader takeaway was a tournament overshadowed by off-course tensions, with Europe’s seven-point cushion setting the stage for a decisive final day at Bethpage Black.

The tournament’s second day underscored the fragility of crowd conduct in a high-stakes atmosphere, and it underscored the relentless scrutiny placed on players’ responses to provocation. As Europe prepared to carry momentum into the final stretch, McIlroy and Lowry’s performances suggested that emotional resilience could be as decisive as technical form, even as security measures and watchdogs worked to keep the competitive focus intact for the remainder of the weekend.