With the Ryder Cup now over, and Team Europe holding on to the trophy for another two years, players have started to reflect on what was an unusual week at Bethpage Black.
Despite predictions of a hostile environment, Friday actually went fairly smoothly as Europe jumped out to an early lead and managed to quiet the New York crowd.
But Saturday saw tensions escalate. Abuse was directed at several European players, with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry catching most of it in what turned into a really ugly scene.
Security had to line the fairways as things threatened to spill over. Even McIlroy’s wife Erica got caught up in it, with drinks being thrown her way.
A few American players tried to step in and calm things down. Justin Thomas spoke up afterwards about how some of the comments towards McIlroy crossed a line.
Justin Thomas shares thoughts on the abuse Rory McIlroy faced at Bethpage
Justin Thomas was one of the Americans who helped close the gap on Sunday, but he had already witnessed firsthand how hostile things became on Saturday.
Even with all his experience, this was something new for Thomas. Speaking to reporters, he addressed whether he felt McIlroy’s safety was ever genuinely at risk.
“I mean, I don’t think anyone’s safety was necessarily in danger. Words hurt, too. There was definitely some nasty things said, but I don’t think anybody was necessarily fearing for their life or in any kind of situation where they were going to get hurt.
“Yeah, I think that anybody that was out there could pretty blatantly tell you that there were some things said, and yeah it was – I said it to – Cam and I said it to Shane and Rory yesterday that we felt for them. It was unfortunate.
“Cam and I just wished that we gave them something to cheer for instead of people to cheer against. I think that was kind of the main consensus of the last two days, that we weren’t giving them enough to cheer for, and they were just trying to help us win. I guess that’s the New York fans for you.”
Fan behaviour at Bethpage draws criticism after Ryder Cup incidents
No matter which side you are on – Europe or America – it is clear things got out of hand on Saturday.
The remarks directed at McIlroy and Lowry crossed well beyond banter into personal territory at times.
The pair kept their cool remarkably well under pressure, even though McIlroy did show signs of frustration during the match.
Former Ryder Cup winner Nicolas Colsaerts told Sky Sports that he believes the USA need to do a lot of soul searching.
“For most people that saw the broadcast yesterday, the behaviour of certain American fans was clearly over the line. We understand that when you go and play over in America, you are going to be exposed to a certain level of criticism from the crowd.
“But when it starts to be directed at players and it’s clearly insulting, that’s a line you have to be careful with. There is a certain level of responsibility from not only American golf, but the world of golf, to make sure that it’s a healthy atmosphere – which was not really the case yesterday. A few questions definitely need to be answered.”
The next Ryder Cup returns to European soil – Spain specifically. It will be an opportunity for Team Europe not only to defend their title, but perhaps reset expectations around how crowds should behave.