Rory McIlroy appears to raise middle finger at US crowd during Ryder Cup opener

Rory McIlroy appeared to raise his middle finger toward American fans during the opening day of the Ryder Cup on Friday as Europe built a 3-1 lead after the morning foursomes.

In the afternoon, the mood intensified when McIlroy and Shane Lowry faced Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns amid a chorus of hostile crowd noise. The European pair had gone two up on the 11th hole when the incident occurred. A video circulating on social media shows McIlroy turning his head and lifting his left hand as he walked off the green with Lowry, with some viewers speculating he was signaling to someone in the stands rather than directing the gesture at the fans generally.

The clip quickly spread across social platforms, drawing renewed attention to the tense atmosphere that some players contend with at the biennial event held this year at Bethpage Black. There was no immediate, confirmed public comment from McIlroy, Lowry, Cantlay, Burns, or Ryder Cup organizers regarding the moment as of publication.

Spectators have long filled Ryder Cup arenas with high energy and partisan chants, and organizers emphasize conduct and safety for players and fans alike. Friday’s events reflected a broader pattern at this venue, where European and American sides have traded sharp exchanges amid competitive match play.

European captain Luke Donald and U.S. counterpart Zach Johnson have repeatedly urged that the event remain focused on golf, with officials monitoring behavior and prepared to address any incidents that spill into unsafe or unsportsmanlike conduct. The Ryder Cup resumes with additional foursomes and fourball matches on Saturday, culminating in Sunday’s singles, as both teams push to secure honors in one of golf’s most storied rivalries.

For McIlroy, the moment adds to a career marked by fierce rivalries and high-pressure moments on golf’s biggest stages. Whether the gesture was intended as a provocation or a reaction to the provocation around him remains a point of discussion among fans and analysts, but the tournament’s competitive footing continued on the field.