Rory McIlroy Sends Message on Insults Hurled at Wife During Ryder Cup
As Team Europe closes in on a commanding road victory at the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, the American crowd is doing everything it can to rattle the visitors.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy has been the prime target of abuse, with much of it crossing the line. On Saturday, PGA reporter Jeff Eisenband wrote, “I’m telling you, as someone who was at the Ryder Cup on Friday, the things being yelled at Rory McIlroy simply aren’t acceptable. This isn’t about Rory needing to be tougher — it’s about fans crossing the line, making personal attacks, and even insulting his family.”
The hostility finally boiled over at the 16th hole when hecklers disrupted McIlroy’s concentration. The Northern Irishman stepped away from his shot and shouted at the crowd to “shut the [expletive] up.”
His teammate, Shane Lowry, also had to be restrained after reacting to the relentless jeers, prompting New York State troopers to step in and form a protective barrier around McIlroy.
According to Golf Digest’s Joel Beall, the abuse started early: “At least 30-plus f-bombs were thrown at McIlroy in the first four holes alone. ‘You suck’ and ‘Pinehurst’ taunts were constant.” By the par-5 fourth, heckling turned deeply personal. One fan shouted, “Have you patched things up with the Mrs.?” — referencing McIlroy’s marriage to Erica Stoll. Between the sixth and 12th holes, another fan allegedly crossed an even more vulgar line with comments involving Lowry, McIlroy’s wife, and his private life. Security ultimately had to eject that spectator.
McIlroy and Stoll, who share a five-year-old daughter, Poppy, filed for divorce in March 2024 but reconciled later in the year.
When asked after Saturday’s round whether fans had crossed a line, McIlroy offered a measured response: “Playing an away Ryder Cup is always really tough,” he told NBC. “It’s not up to me to say if people went too far — everyone can judge that for themselves. What matters is that we stayed focused and managed to win today despite everything.”
Even with the heckling, McIlroy continues to be one of Europe’s key performers. Through the first two days, he has gone 3-0-1, helping his team take a commanding 10.5–3.5 lead over the U.S. Despite chants of “Leprechaun,” “Overrated,” and “Take out the Irish trash,” McIlroy’s play has been a driving force in Europe’s push toward Ryder Cup glory.
