Paul Azinger has weighed in on the debate about fan abuse at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage and suggests that Rory McIlroy is guilty of double standards.
The former U.S. Ryder Cup captain, major champion, and broadcaster appeared on Golf.com’s Subpar podcast with host and former PGA Tour professional Colt Knost. Azinger began by reiterating his appreciation for McIlroy’s passion for the Ryder Cup and his strong support for the PGA Tour when LIV emerged as a rival.
“Rory probably turned down five hundred million dollars by not going to LIV, and he’s European. We see how much he wants to beat our Tour, but he stayed here and fought for us. He fought for the PGA Tour. So, I love him for that,” Azinger said.
However, he followed this by referencing comments McIlroy made in the post-Ryder Cup press conference, where he suggested that fan behaviour had crossed the line.
“I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week,” McIlroy said in the immediate aftermath of the European victory. “Golf has the ability to unite people. … It teaches you how to respect people. Sometimes this week, we didn’t see that.”
Azinger did not condone the abuse directed at European players, particularly McIlroy, but suggested that players need to lead by example themselves.
“Today, in the press conference, after it’s over, he’s saying 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 person in the media asked him today, ‘How did that feel, Rory, telling the guy to “shut the f*** up” and then hitting it to two feet?’ and he said, ‘It felt pretty effing good.’”
Azinger continued, “And I’m like, which is it, Rory? Is it that golf is held to a higher standard? Or are you just going to ‘f*** you’ the fans and act like that’s okay? So, I love Rory, you know that, but you can’t say that. You can’t say the fans need to behave better and then, in the meantime, lambast them. You can’t do both; you’ve got to be one or the other.”
