Rory McIlroy reacted to an incident involving his wife Erica Stoll as the golfer continued to be routinely heckled by the Ryder Cup crowd at Bethpage Black
Rory McIlroy showed concern for his wife, Erica Stoll, after she was reportedly hit by a drink hurled from the rowdy Ryder Cup crowd at Bethpage Black Golf Course. During Saturday’s four-ball session alongside Shane Lowry, McIlroy faced relentless heckles from the raucous New York crowd.
The hostile reception was expected by McIlroy, who has been the subject of various heckles from the crowd. However, it seems words weren’t the only projectiles aimed at McIlroy’s direction.
There have been claims that one spectator threw a drink at the 36-year-old but struck his wife instead, the Mirror US say. In a viral clip, McIlroy can be seen comforting Stoll and brushing something off the top of her hat before seeming to ask: “Are you OK?”
The pair then moved further from the crowd, though Stoll kept glancing back looking for the alleged culprit. Flocking to social media, countless golf fans insisted that the reported behaviour towards Stoll went too far.
“Sports bring out strong emotions, but we need to remember these are real people with families. This crosses a line,” one X user wrote, with another adding: “That’s a tad too far. Love the heckling, but don’t throw c***. NY’s finest.”
READ MORE: Ryder Cup’s biggest comebacks and largest wins as Team USA face uphill battleREAD MORE: Ryder Cup chaos sees heated Bryson DeChambeau and Tommy Fleetwood clash before caddie’s shove
A third commented, “All for a rowdy crowd to help our guys but no place for spouses to be abused, way out of line.”
This wasn’t the first occasion that McIlroy clashed with spectators at Bethpage Black. On multiple occasions, he was forced to step back from his shot as hecklers shouted expletives and crude remarks in his direction.
When the personal jibes escalated on the 16th hole during the morning session, McIlroy suddenly stopped his shot preparation and shouted back: “Guys, shut the f*** up.”
McIlroy acknowledged that the hostile reception was part of the Ryder Cup experience on American soil. “I don’t mind them having a go at us. Like, that’s to be expected,” he said.
“I mean, that’s what an away Ryder Cup is. Whenever they are still doing it while you are over the ball and trying to hit your shot, that’s the tough thing.
“You know, look, in between shots, say whatever you want to me. That’s totally fine. But just let us – you gave us the respect to let us hit shots, and give us the same chance that the Americans have, I guess.”
Regarding whether he felt the opposing supporters crossed the line with their behaviour, McIlroy added: “When you play an away Ryder Cup it’s really, really challenging. It’s not for me to say.
“People can be their own judge whether they took it too far or not. I’m just proud of us for being able to win with what we had to go through.”
After a successful Saturday, Team Europe lead 11.5-4.5 over Team USA. The Ryder Cup concludes with 12 singles matches on Sunday.
Watch the Ryder Cup with discounted Sky Sports package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the Ryder Cup, saving members £336 and offering all three days of the 2025 competition live with extended coverage.
