Golf fans are accustomed to marshals raising “Quiet Please” signs and crowds falling silent before every shot. The rules are a little different at the Ryder Cup, where teams of the best players from the United States and Europe meet every other year. There's a more raucous, football-style atmosphere. Singing, chanting, and flag-waving on the first tee have become part of the tradition. Still, even at the Ryder Cup, the line remains clear: Once a player addresses the ball, silence is expected; personal abuse or heckling aimed at players or their families has no place.
That ideal was abandoned this year at Long Island golf course Bethpage Black, where the event was held. Comedian Heather McMahan stepped down after leading American fans in a first-tee chant directed at European team member Rory McIlroy, urging “F*** you, Rory” over the public address system.
McIlroy was heckled repeatedly, including while addressing shots. At one point, he told the crowd, “Shut the f*** up” before stepping up to deliver an approach. He later noted that some of the abuse, directed also at his American wife, was “unacceptable,” saying that golf “should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week.”
Golf Monthly chided fans for “crossing the line” into distasteful territory. Others suggested that the spectacle was marred by what should have been a passionate yet dignified rivalry. The Fox & Friends hosts on Monday rebuked the conduct as embarrassing and unworthy of the game.
Noted Brian Kilmeade, who lives near the course:
“The setting was beautiful, the course was great. The behavior of the fans was embarrassing. I just… flat out embarrassing. I’m not saying you have to act like it’s every golf tournament. We’ve got to be quiet. I know you got to get into the team aspect, but you don’t have to be obscene.”
President Donald Trump attended the event early and was taunted by the European team post-victory: “Are you watching, Donald Trump?” they chanted on a plane en route back across the pond.
Trump, known for his pugilistic social media posts, responded with a classy, “Yes, I’m watching. Congratulations.” No taunting back, no escalation. It was a classy response — one Americans could well emulate at golf tournaments, family get-togethers, or town halls.