NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Team Europe kept the Ryder Cup after a Black Bethpage weekend, but one of the main scenarios of this year’s rivalry was that Team USA fans treated Golfers in Long Island.
Rory McILroy of Northern Ireland and his wife, Erica, were at the center of some of these insults on the course, and the CEO of PGA of America, Derek Sprague, made a duty to apologize.
“I sent a long email to share with Rory and Erica and I just told him that we will do better in the future,” Sprague told The Athletic. “I am the CEO now. I do not tolerate this type of behavior. It is not good for golf. It is not good for the Ryder Cup. It is not good for any of the professional athletes, and we will do better.”
CLICK HERE for more sports cover on Foxnews.com
Rory McILroy comes out of the first tee during the first round of the US Open. (Charles Leclaire / Imagn Images)
Sprague continued by saying that he was “disappointed by the behavior of fans” and condemning what Heather McMahon, the actress who left her post as host of the Ryder Cup on Saturday after participating in a song “F — You, Rory”, did it. McMahon denied having directed the song.
“Disappointed by the first tee and the master of ceremonies that this is not what we are,” said Sprague. “And I was really, really, really disappointed.”
Team USA Ryder Cup Legend calls Rory McILroy for hypocrisy on golf fans
There was also a viral moment when a drink was struck towards McILroy’s wife, leaving her amazed while Golfer No. 2 in the world immediately sought the fan in the responsible stands.
McILroy was also seen returning fans of the bird and telling others to “close the F — Up” to points of the three-day tournament. His partner, Shane Lowry, also spat the explanatives to fans commenting on his weight, while defending McILroy, one of his best friends.
Heather McMahan and Rory McILroy (Getty Images; Imagn)
While Sprague is CEO, the President of the PGA of America, Don Rea, had no such scathing words while discussing the behavior of fans with the BBC.
“Well, you have 50,000 people here who are really excited,” he said. “Heck, you can go to a football match for young people and get people who say bad things. We say to fans, huer someone does not worsen them. As a rule, it makes them better. And when our American players have to control the crowd, who distracted them to play.”
Players like Justin Thomas were seen orchestrated the crowd to be silent or pass from certain songs during the game throughout the weekend.
Derek Sprague, CEO of PGA of America, attended a press conference next to the black course of the Golf course of Bethpage State Park on September 17, 2025 in Farmingdale, NY (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Team Europe sealed a 15-13 victory to keep the Ryder Cup after recovering the game in simple Sunday. The USA team was down 11 ½-4 ½ during the day, but retaliated and finally made it very close to the end.
