Team Europe have hit back at claims from United States Ryder Cup officials that the abuse dished out at Bethpage was no different from that suffered by the Americans in Rome two years ago.
Europe’s Matt Fitzpatrick went as far as to call the accusations “offensive to our fans”.
Advertisement
PGA of America president Don Rea dismissed the vile heckles hurled at Rory McIlroy and his wife, Erica, as the same as you would hear “at a youth soccer game”.
“Rory understands that,” Rea added. “It happened when we were in Rome on the other side.”
There are growing calls for him to resign after his comments made in an interview on Sunday.
US captain Keegan Bradley agreed with Rea, saying in the post-match press conference: “I wasn’t at Rome, but I heard a lot of stories that Rome was pretty violent as well.”
As a whole, Team Europe were stunned, if not sickened, by these comments, particularly with Erica not only forced to listen to cruel taunts about her marriage, but also being struck by a beer thrown by a member of the galleries.
There were no reports of any incidents even remotely similar at Marco Simone two years ago, or indeed at any matches hosted in Europe. Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton were both keen to point this out on Wednesday.
Advertisement
“What that PGA of America guy said about it being the same as in Rome… well he clearly wasn’t there or must have been listening to something else because it was nothing like New York,” Fitzpatrick said.
“The Saturday afternoon [in 2023] was one of the best things I’ve seen in my entire life – the chanting, the cheering, the songs. It was creative and fun and that to me, is what makes European fans so great versus American fans. It’s always been playful and just banter and the fact that he [Rea] said that it was the same as in Rome is actually pretty offensive to European fans.”
Hatton concurred, but also referenced Bradley’s words. “I don’t agree with what they both said,” he said. “I don’t think they were close at all. Certainly, with what I heard last week, I don’t think Rome came anywhere near that.”
After these statements, there were inevitable fears within Team Europe that the PGAA will just sweep the disgraceful scenes under the carpet and fail through inaction to rectify the issue before the next US match at Hazeltine in 2029.
Advertisement
However, on Tuesday, Derek Sprague, the PGAA chief executive, issued an apology. “I can’t wait to reach out to Rory and Erica and… the entire European team,” he said. “They should not have been subjected to that. And I feel badly and I plan on apologising to them.
“Certainly it’s not the values of the PGA of America or 30-plus thousand PGA golf professionals who work every day to bring joy and laughter and fun to golf. Certainly we did not witness that. We are not happy with what happened last week.”
Despite coming 48 hours too late and after former captain Tom Watson said he felt “ashamed” the Europeans have welcomed Sprague’s contrition. There can be no doubt, though, that a huge chasm has been created between the sides.
Fitzpatrick believes this was only widened by Rea’s perfunctory muted compliments at the trophy presentation “I don’t want to speak on behalf of everyone but we did feel there was a little bit of bitterness when they presented the trophy,” Fitzpatrick said.
Advertisement
“Rosey [Justin Rose] and I both looked at each other as if to say, ‘well, that wasn’t a very heartfelt congratulations’. And he [Rea] said we only retained it but actually we won it.”
Fitzpatrick and Hatton were speaking in St Andrews on the eve of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the DP World Tour pro-am event that takes place on three links – the Old Course, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie.
Also in the field are two other members of Luke Donald’s successful team in Tommy Fleetwood and Robert MacIntyre, as well as 17 LIV Golf players.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
