At Bethpage Black, the Ryder Cup’s first tee ceremony took a shocking turn when Heather McMahan, the designated emcee, was caught on video egging on the crowd with expletive chants targeting Rory McIlroy. What was meant to be a celebratory moment spiraled into a PR disaster for the PGA of America, and the fallout continues.
Video footage from Saturday morning shows McMahan shouting, “F— you, Rory,” into the megaphone as fans responded. Within hours, backlash spread, prompting the PGA of America to announce that McMahan would no longer serve as the emcee at the first tee.
What Led To McMahan Stepping Down The Next Day
According to The Guardian, “McMahan had been employed to stoke up the crowd on the first tee in an attempt to build the atmosphere, and was using a megaphone to lead them in their chants. She tried to persuade them to join her in a chorus of ‘Scotty! Scotty! Scheffler!’ to the tune of Queen’s We Will Rock You, but was booed into abandoning the effort. “Fuck you Rory!” was more popular, and became a persistent chant throughout the day.”
In a formal statement, the PGA of America confirmed that McMahan “has extended an apology to Rory McIlroy and Ryder Cup Europe” and that she “has stepped down from hosting the first tee of the Ryder Cup.” The decision seemed to come under mounting pressure: video of her remarks had already circulated widely, and criticism was coming not only from golf fans but from players, media, and even officials.
The episode quickly became more than just an embarrassing PR moment. It raised serious questions about the role of emcees in high-stakes sporting events, boundaries between crowd engagement and misconduct, and how organizers handle accountability when things go off script.
How McIlroy And Others Responded Under Heckling Pressure
McIlroy bore the brunt of the hostility from the gallery all day. During a morning match, he snapped at the crowd: “shut the f— up,” after being heckled while preparing a shot. He later bemoaned the timing and volume of the abuse: “Whenever they are still doing it while you are over the ball and trying to hit your shot, that’s the tough thing.”
While McIlroy admitted he expects some level of noise and banter in an away Ryder Cup, he declined to judge whether the crowd “crossed a line”–leaving that up to others. For the rest of Team Europe, the episode underscored an ever-present challenge: contending with hostile environments while trying to retain focus under siege.
“People can be their own judge of whether they took it too far or not,” McIlroy said. “I’m just proud of us for being able to win today [Saturday] with what we had to go through.”
Many fans had initially welcomed the addition of a lively emcee to the first tee, seeing it as a way to amplify energy. But after the chants turned vulgar, sentiment shifted quickly, with a chorus of voices online criticizing the choice and questioning why that tone was allowed in the first place.
Why The Emcee’s Removal Highlights Deeper Issues With Fan Behavior
This incident is a test of how seriously sports bodies take decorum, respect, and accountability. Spectator etiquette is always invoked at big events, but here it collided head-on with an emcee’s participation in vulgarity.
“I thought the fans were passionate,” U.S. Captain Keegan Bradley said. “I wasn’t at Rome, but I heard a lot of stories that Rome was pretty violent as well. But the fans of New York, from what I have seen, have been pretty good.
“You’re always going to have a few people that cross the line and that’s unfortunate.”