A former Ryder Cup champion isn’t a fan of the double-standard that Rory McIlroy apparently has for rowdy fans.
During an episode of GOLF’s Subpar on Sunday, Paul Azinger called out the Northern Irishman for his comments about the crowd at Bethpage Black, which had crossed the line a few times with the Team Europe star over the course of the Ryder Cup.
“Today in the press conference, after it’s over, he’s saying, ‘I think golf should be held to a higher standard of decorum.’ Isn’t that what he said? 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 eff up,’ the guy in the media asked him today, ‘How did that feel, Rory, to tell the guy to shut the eff up and then hit it two feet?’ And he said, ‘It felt pretty effing good,’ and I’m like, bud, which is it, Rory?” Azinger said.
McIlroy and his wife, Erica Stoll, had been being a huge target for belligerent fans who hurled insults at the couple over their highly publicized temporary separation last year.
In one clip posted on social media, McIlroy is called a homophobic slur while walking through the crowd with wife Erica Stoll at the event.
“Rory! Hey, you little f—–,” the fan can be heard saying in the video, with the golfer immediately taking notice.
Clearly shocked at the vulgarity, McIlroy turned to point out the fan and instructed security to “throw him out.”
When the fan asked why he was getting the heave-ho, McIlroy curtly responded, “For calling me a f—–.”
During afternoon play on Sunday, McIlroy not only told hecklers to “shut the f— up,” but also told a course referee that he refused to putt until fans “shut up.”
In another incident, Stoll was hit by a drink that appeared to come from the crowd.
“I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy said on Sunday after Europe’s 15-13 win over the host Americans. “I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people.”
McIlroy’s remarks brought up several questions from Azinger, who captained the U.S. team to a Ryder Cup win in 2008.
“Is it that golf is held to a higher standard? Or are you just going to ‘eff you’ the fans and act like that’s okay?” Azinger wondered. “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, lay them to waste.
“You can’t do both. You got to be one or the other.”
The next edition of the tournament in 2027 will be hosted in Ireland at The Golf Course at Adare Manor – where McIlroy says the fans should be better behaved.
“This should not be what is acceptable in the Ryder Cup,” McIlroy said. “But you know, we will be making sure to say to our fans in Ireland in 2027 that what happened here this week is not acceptable.”