Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has said the abuse recieved by Team Europe’s Ryder Cup team “pales in comparison” to the fan jibes he received when he played in the Ashes.
Europe won the Ryder Cup for a second time in a row at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, but the event was overshadowed at times by unruly fan behaviour.
Pietersen, who played on three Ashes tours Down Under, suggested the abuse wasn’t too bad.
“I’ve played in some hostile environments in Australia,” Pietersen told Sky Sports News. “I can relay some stories, which I won’t do, which were so bad. That’s sport, it is what it is.
“I know it’s not the game of golf, and I get it, and I understand it, but for one week of the year, it is what it is.
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“These guys are there, they’re fiercely competitive, they want to try to back their team, they’re playing for their country.
“I’ve had some pretty dark experiences in Australia playing for England. From what I saw, some of it pales into significance when compared to some of the things I’ve heard when playing in Australia.
“You just understand it and you accept it and you get on with it. [Rory] McIlroy reacts the way McIlroy reacted, and it’s amazing. It’s great for the sport, it’s great for that event.
“But it’s just a week of the year that just gets everybody gripped into the game. We all were, we all loved it, and they all live happily ever after. Monday morning, they’ll all be friends again, and everything’s good.”
