McIlroy criticizes Bradley for not curbing fan abuse at the Ryder Cup

McIlroy Criticizes the Public’s Behavior at the Ryder Cup: “The Worst I’ve Experienced”

Golfer Rory McIlroy has expressed his discontent with the behavior of the public at the last Ryder Cup, calling it “the worst” he has experienced in his career. The player, who is part of the European team, recounted the experiences of the competition that took place last September, where the team faced a hostile environment on the field.

“I don’t think we should accept that in golf”

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy, in a conversation on the podcast “The Overlap”, delved into his feelings about the public’s behavior, mentioning that the situation experienced at the 2016 Ryder Cup had already been bad, but that this year’s surpassed it. The golfer reported that, on occasion, the insults and booing were directed towards his wife and family, which he considered unacceptable. McIlroy also mentioned the attitude of the American captain, Keegan Bradley, suggesting that he could have intervened to control the behavior of the fans. The golfer believes that Bradley had the opportunity to calm things down during the competition, but he didn’t.

However, McIlroy acknowledged that the situation calmed down a bit on the last day of the competition. Despite the difficulties, the golfer highlighted the importance of the Ryder Cup as a unique event in golf, with an atmosphere of rivalry that makes it one of the most important tournaments. McIlroy concluded by stating that winning as a team has a different flavor than individual victories and that, despite his individual achievements, he has never had as much fun in his career as in the Ryder Cup.