WAGs told to stay away from Bethpage as Ryder Cup crowd atmosphere looms

Team Europe’s Ryder Cup WAGs have been urged to stay away from Bethpage Black next week amid expectations of a hostile American crowd. The warning came from former European star Andrew Coltart, who recalled his own experience at the 1999 Ryder Cup and cautioned about taunting aimed at players’ partners. The event is set to begin at 7:10 a.m. local time next Friday at Bethpage Black.

Coltart described how, in 1999, several wives and girlfriends faced derogatory remarks from the crowd, noting that his wife avoided abuse only because she had just given birth. 'My wife wasn't getting abused because she was back home as she'd just given birth the week before to our first child,' he said. 'But some of the other wives and girlfriends had been getting abuse from the crowd. It was just normal derogatory things that, unfortunately, you would expect from a group of blokes that probably had too much to drink.' He urged the attending WAGs to consider watching from a safe, secure room rather than stoically walking the gallery. 'So for Bethpage Black, I offered up the suggestion that it might not be a great idea to go out there and they can watch it from a room where it's safe and secure. Now I know that's not what they want, they'll want to be there with their man or their son to give them support. But it potentially can be an atmosphere they will never ever be used to and it could be quite upsetting and challenging for them. As a player you deal with these things, but nobody wants their wife or partner to be abused and there's no way the crowd control and the stewards are going to be able to stop that.'

Rory McIlroy said Europe’s players have been using virtual reality headsets to desensitize themselves to the expected abuse. After tying for 20th at the BMW PGA Championship, he explained that the device simulates the sights, sounds and noise of hostile crowds. 'It simulates the sights and sounds and noise. That's the stuff that we are going to have to deal with, so it's better to try to desensitize yourself as much as possible before you get in there. You can get them to say whatever you want them to say – you can go as close to the bone as you like. You can go as far as you want.' He added: 'Asked what messaging was piped into his device, McIlroy replied, 'You don't want to know. Not for publication.'

Team Europe captain Luke Donald has been exploring a variety of techniques to cope with the noise they will face at the end of the month. Earlier this year, at the Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, those efforts included employing a comedian to heckle Tyrrell Hatton by shouting out that he resembled an 'Armish farmer' on the tee.

With the United States crowd known for its boisterous support, the buildup to Bethpage has underscored the pressure on Europe to manage the mental demands of competition away from the fairways. Europe’s performance in Rome two years ago has provided a benchmark, and anticipation around this Ryder Cup remains high as players prepare for a confrontational but ceremonial display of sport.