The 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Long Island will be remembered not only for Europe’s hard-fought 15-13 victory, but also for the storm of controversy swirling around the behavior of the American crowd. While the European team’s win was a momentous achievement, especially on U.S. soil, the focus in the aftermath has shifted sharply to what many are calling one of the most hostile atmospheres in Ryder Cup history.
Saturday, October 18, 2025, was the turning point. As Europe began to stretch its lead, the crowd’s energy took a darker turn, particularly targeting Rory McIlroy and his wife, Erica. Verbal insults rained down, with what Shane Lowry described as an “astonishing” level of personal abuse directed at the McIlroys. The situation became so intense that some feared play might be halted. Security struggled to keep the situation under control, and the tension was palpable on every shot.
It didn’t help that an ugly chant—“F— you, Rory”—erupted from the stands, echoing across the course early on Saturday. While comedian Heather McMahan, serving as the first tee host, didn’t initiate the chant, she did join in, shouting the words into her microphone. The fallout was swift: McMahan was relieved of her duties by the PGA of America and issued a public apology to McIlroy. The incident highlighted just how quickly things had spiraled at Bethpage Black.
Legendary figures in the golf world didn’t hold back in their criticism. Tom Watson, himself a Ryder Cup icon, said he was “ashamed” by the behavior of the local fans and offered his own apology for what he called “rude” conduct. Tony Jacklin, who captained Europe to its first-ever win on American soil, was even more direct. “What disappointed me was the behavior of sections of the American galleries,” Jacklin said in a conversation with Champions Speakers, as reported by Irish Golfer. “It was despicable at times. They even came within minutes of stopping play. Security wasn’t up to it. When you have a mass of people and an announcer leading anti-opposition chants, that’s the last thing golf needs.”
The PGA of America, aware of the growing backlash, took the unusual step of issuing an official apology. CEO Derek Sprague reached out to the McIlroys and all of Team Europe, expressing regret for the hostile environment. The organization’s leadership acknowledged the need for better crowd management and promised to review security protocols ahead of future events.
On the course, Rory McIlroy did his best to silence the hecklers with his play. In the morning fourball session, he stuck a shot to within three feet to clinch a match alongside Tommy Fleetwood against Collin Morikawa and Harris English. But the afternoon brought more relentless taunting, with McIlroy forced to step off shots repeatedly as the crowd’s jeers grew louder and more personal. Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, McIlroy’s opponents in the fourball session, tried to intervene, urging the crowd to show respect and later apologizing for the treatment their rivals received. “I think that anybody that was out there could pretty blatantly tell you that there was some things said, and yeah, Cam [Young] and I said it to Shane and Rory yesterday that we felt for them. It was unfortunate,” Thomas said on Ryder Cup Sunday. “Cam and I just wished that we gave them something to cheer for instead of people to cheer against. I think that was kind of the main consensus of the last two days, that we weren’t giving them enough to cheer for, and they were just trying to help us win.”
While the drama at Bethpage Black dominated headlines, the DP World India Championship offered a different kind of tension. Brian Harman, playing alongside Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, and Shane Lowry, experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. Harman finished tied for 26th at 11-under, but Sunday, October 19, 2025, proved challenging—he shot a two-over-par 74 and plummeted 22 spots down the leaderboard. The round started poorly as Harman doubled the first hole, bounced back with a birdie on the second, but then let frustration boil over on the third, a par-5. After a less-than-ideal iron shot, Harman slammed his club into the ground in anger, though the ball ended up under ten feet from the pin. It wasn’t the first time Harman’s emotions got the better of him; he’s had similar outbursts at the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge and the 2023 Open Championship.
Looking back on his strategy after the third round, Harman was candid about his unpredictable approach. “I’m never good at planning,” he admitted. “This morning I didn’t know what I was going to hit on 1 until I stepped up there. I felt good with the driver, and I get up on 14 and I’ve hit driver every day, and today it wasn’t that I’m not aggressive or not confident, but with the pin in the back right, it’s one of those, well, it’s 5-wood, 5-wood, middle of the green, I can still make a 3 if I make a long putt.” Harman’s day ended with three birdies and four bogeys, leaving him frustrated but still reflective on the unpredictable nature of tournament golf. Notably, Harman celebrated a career milestone earlier in the year with his win at the 2025 Valero Texas Open, his first victory since the 2023 Open Championship.
Back in the Ryder Cup spotlight, the conversation inevitably returned to the events at Bethpage Black. McIlroy, speaking at the DP World India Championship, voiced his disappointment that the crowd’s antics had overshadowed Europe’s historic win. “I’ve been following the sort of narrative coming out of the Ryder Cup just like everyone else,” McIlroy said. “But unfortunately, I think it takes away from what we focused on which is what an incredible performance it was by the European team. The unfortunate thing is people aren’t remembering that and they are remembering the week for the wrong reason.” He urged the golf world to shift the narrative back to the remarkable play and unity of the European squad.
With the Ryder Cup set to move to Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027, McIlroy expressed hope that lessons would be learned. “I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” he said, referencing the hostile atmosphere. “I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people. Sometimes this week we didn’t see that. So no, this should not be what is acceptable in the Ryder Cup. But you know, we will be making sure to say to our fans in Ireland in 2027 that what happened here this week is not acceptable, and for me, it’s — you know, come and support your home team. Come and support your team. I think if I was an American, I would be annoyed. I didn’t hear a lot of shouts for Scottie [Scheffler] today, but I heard a lot of shouts against me. It’s like, support your players.”
As the dust settles on a dramatic week in golf, the hope is that the lessons learned at Bethpage Black will shape a better, more respectful Ryder Cup experience in the years to come. For now, the European team’s victory stands as a testament to their resilience in the face of adversity, even as the sport grapples with the challenge of keeping the focus where it belongs: on the game itself.
