McIlroy faces taunts as Ryder Cup crowd chants and controversy unfold at Bethpage

Rory McIlroy refused to take a Ryder Cup shot after the crowd directed repeated insults at him and his wife, Erica Stoll, during Saturday’s fourballs at Bethpage Black. The Northern Irish star was lining up a putt as he and Shane Lowry defeated Justin Thomas and Cameron Young when tensions boiled over. He stepped away from his swing twice at the sixth hole, was booed, and waited a total of four minutes for the atmosphere to settle before attempting the shot from 34 feet, which he converted to a par.

Team Europe entered the final day with a record-breaking 11.5-4.5 lead over the United States, a margin that has raised expectations of a landslide victory for Luke Donald’s side. The Europeans only needed three more points to clinch the Ryder Cup, and McIlroy’s moment on the course underscored the volatility of the atmosphere surrounding the event at Bethpage Black.

New footage emerged showing the crowd practicing a profane chant directed at McIlroy, with the crowd’s mood described as classless by multiple eyewitnesses. A rendition of the chant was led by the event’s emcee on the first tee, and McIlroy was seen blowing kisses back toward the stands. The abuse extended to McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, who was targeted with insults described in the coverage as demeaning. Across the day, spectators were removed from the event as security was stepped up and officials urged the crowd to uphold basic standards of conduct.

Earlier in the day, McIlroy had already responded to the taunts in a moment of rectitude during a foursomes victory with Tommy Fleetwood. Interrupted during his swing on the 16th, he recovered to strike a precise shot onto the green, setting the stage for Fleetwood to close out the hole and seal a 3&2 win over Collin Morikawa and Harris English. That partnership has been a mainstay for Europe, having also won both foursomes matches during Team Europe’s 2023 success.

Team Europe captain Luke Donald acknowledged the noise but distinguished between raucous atmosphere and behavior that crosses the line. “It was loud, it was raucous,” he said. “What I consider crossing the line is personal insults and making sounds when players are trying to hit their backswings or go into their routines. That did happen a little bit.”

The Ryder Cup emcee, Heather McMahan, later stepped away from her role and issued an apology to McIlroy, per the Sports Business Journal, as security measures and crowd-management protocols were heightened for the remainder of the event.

McIlroy spoke about the nature of away Ryder Cups, acknowledging that some banter is to be expected. “I don’t mind them having a go at us; that’s to be expected. That’s what an away Ryder Cup is. Whenever they are still doing it while you are over the ball and trying to hit your shot, that’s the tough thing,” he said. “In between shots, say whatever you want to me. That’s totally fine. But just give us the respect to let us hit shots and give us the same chance that the Americans have. You do have to focus on the task at hand.”

Donald’s assessment echoed the need for balance between a boisterous home crowd and the line at which provocation becomes unacceptable. He praised McIlroy’s composure but stressed that the line between enthusiasm and insult was the defining issue of the day.

The events at Bethpage Black come as Team Europe holds a commanding lead heading into the final day, with the result increasingly likely to reflect the 2023 continental success that McIlroy has helped anchor. Yet the atmosphere has already sparked debate about the limits of crowd behavior at major team events and the responsibility of organizers to maintain decorum, even in a venue known for its partisan fervor.

As the final day approaches, officials and organizers are poised to balance the passion of Ryder Cup fans with the enforcement of standards designed to protect players’ ability to compete. The question now is whether the crowd’s energy will remain celebratory or spill into actions that could affect the integrity of play and the sport’s public image. Meanwhile, McIlroy and his teammates prepare to continue their quest for a prompt and decisive victory, should the current momentum translate into the necessary points on Sunday.