The PGA Apologizes to Rory McIlroy’s Wife
Last weekend, Bethpage Black Golf Course on Long Island was overrun by unruly hecklers attending the Ryder Cup, a biennial golf tournament between the United States and Europe. It got so chaotic that Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy and his wife, Erica Stoll, experienced a steady stream of verbal abuse and were hit with a flying beer can, which apparently prompted the PGA of America to send them an apology letter. Good! How about one for the rest of the European team while we’re at it?
In an interview, PGA’s CEO, Derek Sprague, told The Athletic that he had reached out to McIlroy’s manager, Sean O’Flaherty, to express his condolences. “I sent a long email to share with Rory and Erica and just told him that we will do better in the future,” Sprague said. “I’m the CEO now. I don’t condone this type of behavior. This is not good for the game of golf. It’s not good for the Ryder Cup. It’s not good for any of the professional athletes, and we will do better.”
Sprague continued, telling the outlet he was “really, really, really disappointed” in the fans’ behavior and in the first tee’s emcee, Heather McMahan, who participated in an “F U Rory” chant while on the mic Saturday morning and was immediately relieved of her duties. Some PGA executives aren’t so apologetic, though: The organization’s president, Don Rea, told BBC Sport on Monday, “Things like that are going to happen.” Okay!
The next Ryder Cup will be held in 2027 in Ireland. Sprague says he’s planning to meet with his European counterparts to “make sure that we focus on what the Ryder Cup is all about,” which is apparently “decorum and sportsmanship and integrity.” I wish them the best of luck.
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