By Devlina Sarkar
Copyright newsweek
On Saturday, the numbers favored Team Europe, but the atmosphere at Bethpage Black turned increasingly hostile, especially for Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
The Ryder Cup’s intensity boiled over into something darker, as personal insults, family taunts and body-shaming heckles forced police intervention and raised serious questions about fan behavior.
McIlroy, a wildcard of Europe’s dominance this week, had already delivered two wins alongside Tommy Fleetwood in the opening sessions. But in the afternoon fourballs, paired with Lowry against Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, the abuse reached a disturbing crescendo.
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 27: Rory McIlroy of Team Europe leaves the 12th tee during the Saturday afternoon four-balls matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 27, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Golf Digest’s Joel Beall, who walked with the group for over two hours, described the scene as “some of the worst behavior I’ve ever seen.”
Fans hurled expletives mid-swing, mocked McIlroy’s family, and bombarded Lowry with weight-related insults. “I’ve never heard so many F*** Yous to anyone, let alone a golfer, as they’re about to pull the trigger,” Beall tweeted.
The tipping point came on the fifth green. As McIlroy prepared to putt, he froze, refusing to continue until the crowd quieted.
“I’m not taking the shot,” cameras caught him saying as he waited.
It wasn’t just gamesmanship but a demand for basic respect from fans. Within minutes, a team of officers surrounded the green, forming a barrier between the players and the crowd.
The PGA of America later confirmed that additional security had been deployed for the afternoon matches and issued a formal warning to fans regarding inappropriate behavior.
The PGA of America have confirmed extra security has been added to this afternoon’s matches and issued a warning to spectators about fan behaviour ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/29R40kpvxl— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) September 27, 2025
So much security with Rory’s group pic.twitter.com/2Tkm3NOSQc— claire rogers (@kclairerogers) September 27, 2025
Shane Lowry reached his limit
On the 12th hole, video captured him lunging toward a heckler before his caddie pulled him back. Not only this, but earlier, after sinking an eagle putt, he turned to the gallery and shouted “F*** you!” in response to relentless taunts.
Even Justin Thomas, known for embracing crowd energy, was seen gesturing for silence as his own fans refused to settle down.
Team Europe had anticipated a rowdy crowd, but surely the behavior was crossing lines.
Earlier this month, Captain Luke Donald equipped players with VR headsets during practice to simulate the noise and chaos.
McIlroy praised the initiative, saying, “It’s better to desensitize yourself before you get in there.” But even he admitted, “When they’re still doing it while you’re over the ball, that’s the tough part. Say whatever you want between shots—but let us hit our shots”.
The fallout is already visible with multiple fans being ejected.
As for the scores, despite the chaos surrounding Saturday’s matches, Team Europe remains firmly in control. They currently lead all four-ball pairings and are projected to carry a commanding 12.5 points into Sunday’s final round.
Team USA, meanwhile, trails significantly with just 3.5 points on the board.
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