By Devlina Sarkar

Copyright newsweek

On Sunday, Team Europe created history on American soil, winning the 45th Ryder Cup under Luke Donald’s captaincy with a 15–13 victory over Team USA. It marked Europe’s back-to-back win after defeating the USA last time in Rome and their 13th overall Ryder Cup triumph.

But beyond the scores and celebrations was a week marked by abuse, personal attacks, and a troubling lack of decorum from sections of the Bethpage Black crowd.

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 28: Rory McIlroy of Europe looks on with his wife Erica by the 17th green during the Sunday singles matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 28, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

While Europe led from Day 1 and held off a fierce American comeback in Sunday singles, the emotional toll was evident, especially for Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, who bore the brunt of verbal abuse throughout the three-day event.

From chants of “F*** you Rory,” from the Ryder Cup emcee itself, to bodyshaming and heckles about relationships, the atmosphere reached far beyond the usual Ryder Cup environment.

But the line truly crossed when the abuse extended to players’ families.

A video circulated online captured McIlroy’s wife, Erica, being struck by a drink thrown from the crowd. The incident occurred during Saturday’s fourballs, prompting McIlroy to confront the situation after they finally retained and won the Cup.

“Erica is fine. She is a very, very strong woman. She handled everything with class and poise and dignity like she always has. I love her, and we’re going to have a good time celebrating tonight.”

Security presence around the European team was significantly increased following the incident. PGA of America released an official statement as additional officers were deployed, and behavior warning signs were flashed on the course throughout the weekend.

So much security with Rory’s group pic.twitter.com/2Tkm3NOSQc— claire rogers (@kclairerogers) September 27, 2025

Despite these measures, several fans were ejected, and the abuse continued to disrupt play on Sunday. McIlroy later reflected on the broader implications.

“I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” he stated during the Sunday conference. “I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. We will be making sure to say to our fans in Ireland in 2027 that what happened here is not acceptable.”

The five-time major winner acknowledged that while most fans were respectful, some fans didn’t stop the ‘unacceptable’ behavior.

“The majority of people here are true golf fans and are respectful and let both teams have the same chance to hit the shots and have a fair contest. But there was a small subset of people that behaved a little bit differently than that.”

Shane Lowry, who eventually became the hero after the win, also chimed in during the same conference.

“I was out there for two days with Erica McIlroy, and the amount of abuse that she received was astonishing,” Lowry told reporters after securing the crucial half-point that ensured Europe retained the Cup. “The way she was out there supporting her husband and supporting her team was unbelievable, and kudos to her for that.”

Despite the chaos, McIlroy’s Bethpage prediction declared after Europe’s win in Rome in 2023 rang true. Europe not only won the Ryder Cup but did so, becoming just the fifth team to achieve this feat in European Ryder Cup history.

As the clock ticks down to Adare Manor 2027, the conversation around fan conduct and Ryder Cup culture is likely to intensify. But for now, Europe heads home with the trophy and a message that respect must return to the heart of the game.

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