The Ryder Cup ended last weekend with controversy, as is often the case. The 2019 event held at Bethpage Black in New York was a racist nightmare. Fans showed all kinds of animosity and a complete lack of decorum, particularly to Rory McIlroy. One more event to make note of The next Ryder Cup will be held in Hazeltine, Minnesota, in 2029. This year’s competition was marred by the actions of a subset of fans.
Rory McIlroy, the guest of honor, was subjected to a litany of nasty epithets all week. Sexist, racist remarks were directed toward his wife, sullying the dignity of what should be a historic occasion. Homophobic slurs further sullied the spirit of sportsmanship that the Ryder Cup usually represents. The hostile atmosphere increased further when Heather McMahan, the emcee for the opening tee, began an audience-wide “Fuck you Rory!” In response to that backlash, she did the unthinkable for a successful nominee – she withdrew from consideration.
The shocking arrest and presence of former President Donald Trump would add a third element to the event’s contentious – and in some ways historic – atmosphere. During his visit, Trump mixed and mingled with conference attendees, greeting them with fist bumps and catching up with them during photo opportunities. Many of the spectators wore MAGA hats, adding to an already charged environment that distracted some players.
The U.S. squad’s captain, Keegan Bradley, knew his greatest trial would be keeping his troops focused amid all this chaos. In spite of all the commotion, Bradley’s crew presented an impressive assemblage of talent willing to do their best to get the event back on course. Cameron Young notably refused to engage with the negativity surrounding the matches, demonstrating a commendable commitment to sportsmanship.
And speaking of momentum, Luke Donald, captain of the European team, congratulated his players’ resolve under pressure. He embraced their “anti-fragile” temperament at the same time as defining unequivocally what he considered “raucous” vs. “personal” behavior from the public galleries. This distinction became increasingly relevant as European players navigated through a crowd that blurred the lines between enthusiastic support and outright hostility.
Despite these challenges, McIlroy and fellow teammate Shane Lowry managed to secure a victory in their afternoon match, winning two up. Through it all, their performance was a testament to their tremendous talent and fierce resolve. They withstood hisses during practice swings and would not let snide remarks from some parts of the gallery get to them.
Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images Justin Thomas is doing something about it. He personally badgered the members of his gallery to shut up. This was perhaps the best demonstration of his understanding of how crowd psychology can affect the play of the game as his rivals lined up putts. Sadly, the response to this horrible, racist crowd behavior on Saturday was not enough. This was deeply disappointing to many players and to observers alike.
Despite all of the chaos, The Ryder Cup still produced an unforgettable Sunday finish as Europe accomplished the improbable by coming back to capture the event. The path to that realization was plagued by an incremental unraveling of public conduct, which was felt all weekend long. What began as some lighthearted competition between supporters soon escalated to violent opposition. This hostile culture created a devastating impact on players and fans alike.