Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has said it was “ridiculous” Rory McIlroy and his European teammates got so upset after being on the receiving end of abuse at the Ryder Cup.
Luke Donald’s Europe dominated the first two days of the biennial contest at Bethpage Black in New York last month despite having to endure an increasingly volatile crowd.
A particular low point came when McIlroy and his good friend Shane Lowry battled Justin Thomas and Cameron Young in the Saturday afternoon fourballs.
McIlroy and Lowry held on to secure a point but they did so amid ugly scenes, with the former being subjected to a barrage of abuse.
Extra state troopers and police dogs were also called in and even the US golfers attempted to calm the crowd down.
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The European team expected the abuse and even prepared for the 45th edition of the Cup by using virtual reality headsets to simulate the barbs.
But what transpired has continued to be huge talking point, with multiple high-profile current and former golfers weighing in on the topic.
Nine-time major champion Gary Player was the latest to offer his two cents, describing the Ryder Cup as a “shambles” that has now become “the worst event in the world.”
Keane, who won seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League trophy between 1993-2005 for United, told the Overlap that the reaction from European players was “ridiculous”.
“I’m no expert on golf, but you are telling me these players were under pressure because a few people were shouting?” Keane said.
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“Come to Leeds or Anfield on a Tuesday night, let me tell you. These guys play in big tournaments every week, so all of a sudden they are going to be upset by a few Yanks?
“You’ve got McIlroy. He’s won all the big prizes. Do you think he’s going to be upset by a few people? It’s ridiculous.”
Former Arsenal striker turned pundit Ian Wright reminded Keane of the abuse also extended to some golfers’ wives. McIlroy’s wife Erica was struck by a beer.
Ryder Cup
Keane added: “They get upset because of their partners, but let me tell you what I would say to my partner.
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“If I was a golfer and my partner was getting abuse, I’d tell them: ‘Just stay at the hotel, love. I’ll see you tonight when I get back.
“They don’t come to all the other tournaments, but guess what… you get a new outfit and you come to the Ryder Cup!
“You’ve got a lovely new outfit, a new belt, a new handbag and they are getting loads of stick. Well, go home. I can guarantee, they are going back to a nice hotel, they are not in a camp, a tent.
“They knew it was coming. It’s been built up for the last six months. Of course they knew they were going to get abused.”
Rory McIlroy
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Keane and McIlroy have history.
In January 2024, McIlroy appeared on the same podcast where he performed a dramatic U-turn on how he viewed the PIF-backed LIV Golf.
McIlroy was one of LIV’s harshest critics but he told the pod that he was too judgemental of the players that decamped to the breakaway tour during the golf wars.
Five months before he won The Masters, he explained just how much winning the green jacket would mean to him.
An avid Man Utd fan, McIlroy also explained the Glazer family needed to leave the club.
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According to McIlroy, he asked Keane for an autograph when he was a kid. Keane refused.
“I was down at the Parmer Links hotel and the Republic of Ireland team were staying there too.
“I saw one of my Manchester United heroes, Roy Keane, in the lobby and I must’ve been around 12 years old, so I went over to him asking for an autograph, so I went over to him asking for an autograph.
“He looked up at me and said, ‘not today kid’. But it was okay as it didn’t make an impression on me.”
Watch:
Roy Keane’s take on the wives and girlfriends of Ryder Cup players getting verbally abused by spectators.
Our greatest comedian.pic.twitter.com/6579WXzqdP
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) October 16, 2025
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