A former Major champion has lashed out at Rory McIlroy’s complaints about the US crowd at the Ryder Cup over the weekend.
McIlroy, along with Shane Lowry, was bombarded by abuse from the New York crowd at Bethpage Black all weekend, and it boiled over in a few shocking moments.
Reacting to the abuse, McIlroy cursed at a number of spectators and had multiple others kicked out of the event. At one point, even McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, was subject to abuse after a drink was thrown at her as she walked past the crowd.
The behaviour was such that even the great Tom Watson felt the need to apologise to Europeans for the abuse coming from the American crowd.
In the aftermath of winning his second away Ryder Cup, McIlroy had said that golf needs to be held to a higher standard and that behaviour like that has no place in golf.
However, former PGA Championship winner Paul Azinger has called out Rory for his reaction to the crowd at Bethpage Black. Speaking on the YouTube show Subpar, Azinger voiced his displeasure at what he viewed as hypocrisy from McIlroy.
‘Today, in the press conference, he said “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 today asks him, “How did it feel, Rory, to tell the guy to shut the f up and then hit it to two feet?” and he said, “It felt pretty f-ing good.”
‘And I’m like, which is it, Rory? Is it that golf is held to a higher standard, or are you just gonna [say] f you to the fans and act like that’s ok?’
This Ryder Cup win capped off what has been an amazing year for Rory McIlroy. From starting the season on fire with a win at Pebble Beach to winning The Player Championship, then obviously the pièce de la résistance, the Masters win at Augusta, capping off a career Grand Slam.
McIlroy then returned home and did solid at Royal Portrush at The Open before winning the Irish Open for a second time at the K Club earlier this month, before this past weekend, where he won his sixth Ryder Cup and his second one away from home. If he ever needed to prove himself more this year, McIlroy has really cemented himself as an Irish sporting great.
