Rory McIlroy’s wife Erica was reportedly brought to tears following a day of vitriolic abuse from American fans at the Ryder Cup.
On Saturday, the Northern Irishman faced unrelenting verbal abuse, including chants of ‘f*** you Rory’ and insults concerning his relationship with Erica.
At one point, Erica was even seemingly hit by a drink before her husband could be seen consoling her.
McIlroy said he was ‘drained’ at the end of the day, which ended with Team Europe holding a record-breaking 11.5-4.5 lead.
And it appeared to take a toll on Erica as well, as The 42 reported she had ‘tears streaming down her face’ as they walked off the course arm-in-arm.
The abuse targeted McIlroy’s relationship with Erica, which had taken a turn last year when the couple seemed to be on the brink of divorce.
Erica Stoll reportedly had ‘tears streaming down her face’ as she left the course on Saturday
She and Rory left the course arm-in-arm after a day of vitriol in New York
The golfer said he was ‘drained’ at the end of a day that saw him frequently subjected to verbal abuse
Even McIlroy’s high-profile ex, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, was implicated in the heckling.
‘How’s your divorce going?’ one fan screamed,’ according to Golfweek.
Another said: ‘Your ex is looking for you.’
Rory and Erica married in 2017 and have a child together in daughter Poppy Kennedy.
The reigning Masters champion had at one point given his wife divorce papers before they reconciled, later describing the experience as a ‘wake-up call’.
The intensity of the verbal abuse on Saturday led tournament officials to bolster security around McIlroy and his Team Europe teammates. McIlroy even refused to take a shot following repeated insults.
Fans were also shown a message on the big screen warning them about ‘abusive behavior.’
At another moment, McIlroy lost his composure, telling nearby fans to ‘shut the f*** up’ as he readied to take a shot. After sinking a significant putt, he also shouted ‘f*** you, f*** you, f*** you’ to the crowd.
This outburst occurred after he initially attempted a more amiable approach with fans, even blowing a kiss to those in the main stand on Saturday.
On Friday, McIlroy also appeared to flash his middle finger towards fans.
Erica followed her husband with Diane Donald (center) and Wendy Lowry (right)
Many American fans at Bethpage taunted McIlroy over his rocky 2024 with wife Erica
Police presence increased as bad behavior threatened to overshadow the second day
Asked about the crowd’s hostility on Saturday McIlroy said: ‘I don’t mind them having a go at us, that’s to be expected. That’s what an away Ryder Cup is. Whenever they are still doing it while you are over the ball and trying to hit your shot, that’s the tough thing.
‘In between shots, say whatever you want to me. That’s totally fine.
‘But just give us the respect to let us hit shots and give us the same chance that the Americans have.’
Video emerged on Saturday night claiming that Erica had been hit by a drink thrown from the stands by the 17th green.
In footage of the moment, McIlroy can be seen wiping something from her hat and asking her if she is okay while they moved away from the stand of rowdy fans, surrounded by security for the European team.
The couple later left the course arm-in-arm, with USA captain Keegan Bradley later refusing to condemn the abuse coming from the home fans.
Europe’s Luke Donald, meanwhile, insisted the highly-charged atmosphere only fueled his players more.
‘Things got tougher out there, and it fired them up even more,’ he said. ‘They were able to get better through those difficult moments out there. That is what makes me most proud as a captain, just their ability to take the punches and come back even stronger.’
‘It was loud. It was raucous,’ he added. ‘What I consider crossing the line is personal insults and making sounds when they are trying to hit on their backswings or very close to when they are trying to go into their routines. That did happen a little bit. It’s happened at other Ryder Cups, too.’
McIlroy and Team Europe need just three more points to win what may well turn out to be a landslide of a Ryder Cup.
