The Ryder Cup was not kind to American golfers this past weekend. And the Ryder Cup fans were not kind to Team Europe and their supporters either.

Rory McIlroy condemned the abusive and unacceptable behavior from fans at Bethpage Black during the European team’s convincing victory this past weekend, stating that golf should uphold higher standards of respect and unity.

The scene was one of utter chaos. The rowdy atmosphere included obscenities and insults hurled at golfers from across the pond. It perhaps reached a new low when a drink was apparently thrown and/or directed at McIlroy and his wife, Erica Stoll.

McIlroy noted that while physical safety wasn’t a concern due to heavy security, the constant harassment, including abuse directed at his wife, was astonishing and crossed lines.

The video showed Stoll absolutely stunned when a drink landed very close to her. Some commentators on social media suggest it was slapped out of a man’s hand by another fan. Either way, the move was unacceptable, as Rory points out.

“I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week,” McIlroy told reporters. “Golf has the ability to unite people. … 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.”

What Ryder Cup fans did to Rory McIlroy’s wife crossed a Line

Ultimately, McIlroy expressed satisfaction in silencing the critics through Europe’s performance, handling the adversity with class despite a few retorts.

Team Europe successfully defended the Ryder Cup despite a furious rally by the American team on the final day of competition, winning 15-13.

McIlroy updated level-headed golf fans afterward, letting them know his wife was fine and praising her for her handling of the incident.

“Erica is fine. She’s a very, very strong woman,” McIlroy said. “You know, she handled everything this week with class and poise and dignity like she always has.”

It wasn’t just this incident either.

American fans heckled European players like Shane Lowry with insults about his weight. They made disruptive shouts during shots, prompting Lowry to respond with expletives. Justin Thomas had to urge the crowd to quiet down.

Police and security were heavily involved in managing the chaos by encircling greens, ejecting multiple spectators for bad behavior, and hauling out two fans for fighting in the grandstand.

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Rory gave it back to the Fans

Despite the rowdy nature of the event, McIlroy was spotted in an all-class act, giving some kind words of encouragement to the kids of American Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley.

Bradley has widely been panned by golf fans as the reason for the team’s sound defeat (despite the final score).

McIlroy, though, was also willing to give it back to fans at Bethpage Black, as he was spotted dropping some expletives of his own during a fired-up moment when the European team was trouncing their opponents.

McIlroy has been on an absolute tear on the links. He won the 2025 Masters, completing the career Grand Slam by securing all four major golf championships, a feat achieved by only six golfers in history.

Earlier this month, he celebrated an emotional moment with his wife and their five-year-old daughter, Poppy, after securing his second Irish Open title. The touching moment came just 16 months after McIlroy filed for divorce from Stoll and kicked off a very turbulent time in the couple’s relationship.

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