Gary Williams says if the abuse directed at Rory McIlroy was worse than what Colin Montgomerie faced at Brookline

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There always seemed to be an expectation that the 2025 Ryder Cup would provide the most hostile atmosphere the event has seen since Brookline 26 years earlier.

The 1999 Ryder Cup is remembered for the incredible comeback from the American side, with Ben Crenshaw vindicated for having a good feeling that his team could still win from 10-6 behind going into the singles.

But the matches at The Country Club became infamous because of the behaviour of some of those outside the ropes.

The top target for those spectators that week in Boston was Colin Montgomerie. The Scot was heckled relentlessly across the three days. The abuse got so bad that his father left the course at one stage.

What Rory McIlroy faced at Bethpage is compared with the abuse aimed at Colin Montgomerie at the 1999 Ryder Cup

In an incredibly classy move, Payne Stewart conceded Montgomerie’s putt on the last hole of their singles match due to what his opponent had been subjected to. It meant that the European won the match 1 up.

Fast forward to this past week, and it was Rory McIlroy who the spectators really went after. McIlroy lost his cool on a few occasions. Meanwhile, it really did appear that the abuse was more draining than playing five matches on golf’s biggest stage.

Those watching on television will not have had a complete idea of how bad things got. And speaking on 5 Clubs, Gary Williams insisted that McIlroy would have welcomed what Montgomerie faced at Brookline.

“Again, I thought this was very predictable considering the things that I heard all four days at the PGA in ’19. I said the PGA of America’s got a problem on their hands in five years. And I think things are worse in ways now, specifically in sports,” he said.

“The Rory week, to what Johnson was saying, in terms of what he heard, and then he responded to all of it, if you look at his week in total – and yes, he lost to Scottie Scheffler, a match that got to the 18th hole – played all five sessions, was the target of more verbal abuse than anybody. What Colin Montgomerie heard was benign in 1999, seriously, compared to what Rory heard, and his family heard as well.”

Those criticising Rory McIlroy for his actions may need to rethink their stances

It is a shame that the behaviour of some of those in attendance at Bethpage will overshadow this year’s event.

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be remembered for Europe’s unbelievable start over the first two days, and America nearly pulling off the greatest comeback in sporting history.

But the player most will think of when it comes to this year’s event is McIlroy – and the reason will largely be just how animated he got at times when the abuse clearly got too much.

Remarkably, McIlroy has come in for criticism in the days following the Ryder Cup, with Paul Azinger suggesting that he could not hit out at the spectators after swearing at them himself.

The fact that McIlroy – who wanted to win another away Ryder Cup more than anything – was pushed to that point says everything about how bad it must have got.

Williams suggesting that it was so much worse than what was directed at Montgomerie is incredibly depressing – and should alarm the PGA of America.