Every Ryder Cup tends to see a main character emerge for a variety of reasons, and in the case of the 2025 event at Bethpage Black, there is no question that so much centred around what was going on with Rory McIlroy.
Rory McIlroy had made it his mission to win a second Ryder Cup on away soil, particularly after sealing the Career Grand Slam at The Masters in April.
Obviously, McIlroy is the biggest name on the PGA Tour. So there was always going to be a target on his back, especially with so much of the talk surrounding the Ryder Cup at Bethpage focusing on how hostile the atmosphere was going to be.
But it most definitely crossed a line over the three days.
Paul Azinger criticises Rory McIlroy following his behaviour at the Ryder Cup
McIlroy faced constant abuse from a section of those behind the ropes. It forced the Northern Irishman to lash out at times, while there seemed to be regular updates of spectators being escorted off the grounds during his match alongside Shane Lowry on Saturday evening.
It made the celebrations all the sweeter for the Europeans once they had won on Sunday. But it seems that some felt that McIlroy should have taken the moral high ground.
Speaking on Subpar, Paul Azinger suggested that McIlroy let himself down with his reaction to the criticism throughout the week.
“I am going to give Rory some credit because he really did take the pressure off the Europeans by stating that winning an away Ryder Cup is one of the toughest achievements in sports,” he said initially.
“So his guys are rolling in with everything to gain and nothing to lose and they are going to face a hostile crowd and they had a chip on their shoulder about it and they showed up very relaxed and ready to roll. I give Rory credit for that but now I want to take a shot at Rory, who I love.
“Rory probably turned down $500m not to go to LIV. He is a European and we see how much he wants to beat our Tour, but he stayed here and fought for us. He fought for the PGA Tour. So I love him for that. But today in the press conference, after it’s over, he is saying that I think golf should be held to a higher standard of decorum. But in the meantime he says f you, f you, f you in full voice for the world to see.
He turns around and says to the guy shut the f up. The guy in the media asks him how did that feel Rory, to tell him to shut up and then hit it to two feet. And he said it felt pretty f’ing good.
“I’m like which is it Rory? Is it that golf is held to a higher standard or are you just going to f you the fans and act that like that’s okay?
“I love Rory, but you can’t say that. You can’t say the fans need to behave better and then in the meantime lay them to waste. You can’t do both. You have got to be one or the other.”
PGA of America largely responsible for the controversy at Bethpage
It is a strange take from Azinger, in some respects. Had McIlroy been the first to swear at the fans, then of course, he should be ashamed of his conduct throughout the week.
That would not have made how some of the spectators treated him right at all. Clearly, many found the atmosphere deeply unpleasant. But McIlroy would have brought some of the backlash upon himself.
However, that is not what happened. McIlroy was on the receiving end of abuse from the very start of the event. And things escalated to where it seemed to be at its ugliest on Saturday afternoon.
Despite his criticism of McIlroy, Azinger also suggested that the PGA of America have to take a lot of the blame as he discussed the fans as a whole.
“I think it must have been terrible. But didn’t the PGA of America know when they came here what was going to happen? Of course. We all knew. We have been talking about it for 10 years that this crowd could go crazy,” he said.
“If the beers weren’t $16 a piece it could have been worse!”
Azinger sees it differently, but the high ticket prices and extortionate charges for drinks almost certainly added to the fans’ frustration.
They paid a ridiculous amount of money to see Keegan Bradley’s men get torn apart over the first two days. So some obviously felt entitled to lash out.
It is a shame that the fan behaviour is one of the main talking points the 2025 Ryder Cup is going to be remembered for.
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