Gary Player blasted the Ryder Cup as the ‘worst event in the world,’ while Rory McIlory looks ahead to a historic 2027 edition on the home soil in Ireland
13:55 ET, 18 Oct 2025Updated 13:59 ET, 18 Oct 2025
Gary Player has offered a brutal Ryder Cup verdict(Image: Getty Images)
Legendary nine-time major champion, Gary Player, didn’t hold back his condemnation of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, branding the spectacle “the worst event in the world” and calling it “a shambles.”
Speaking to the Palm Beach Post, the 89-year-old South African said, “I look at it and I’m in a state of shock.
“I think, what would Ben Hogan have said, you know? What would Byron Nelson have said? What would Arnold Palmer… If Arnold Palmer saw that today… I was disgusted… so to me the Ryder Cup is a shambles”.
Player’s ire was driven by the behavior of the crowd during the biennial event as Europe pulled away on away soil 15-13. He took aim at the event organizers, pointing out how a first tee entertainer incited explicit-laden chants toward Rory McIlroy and the rest of Team Europe before resigning amid the backlash.
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“To see [PGA of America] hire a lady to stand on the tee — if you want to call her a lady — and saying ‘F you, Rory. F this European team…'” Player said.
“Are we crazy? And then the head of the [PGA of America] says, what was so serious about it?”
Amid the strong language from Player, Rory McIlroy also weighed in on the post-event narrative.
Despite his triumph at the Ryder Cup, McIlroy expressed frustration that the week is being remembered for all the wrong reasons.
“It takes away from what we focused on, which is what an incredible performance it was by the European team,” he said.
Rory McIlroy took a lot of abuse during the Ryder Cup
“The unfortunate thing is people aren’t remembering that and they are remembering the week for the wrong reason.”
McIlroy found himself caught up in the controversy, as he was the target of the verbal abuse and reported his wife, Erica Stoll, was struck by a beer thrown from the crowd. “Look, I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy added.
“Golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week.”
The PGA of America’s leadership has since offered apologies. The PGA of America’s CEO, Derek Sprague, issued an apology for the mistreatment of players and families, acknowledging that the behavior of some of the fans “crossed the line”.
The following Ryder Cup is at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027, which is McIlroy’s home soil, as Player insists that “golf deserves better.” McIlroy is also in the running to be a captain sometime in the future for the Ryder Cup.
