Rory McIlroy doesn’t expect to deal with the same level of abuse at the 2027 Ryder Cup in Adare Manor as he did at Bethpage Black last September.
McIlroy had a tirade of abhorrent abuse hurled at him throughout the three days of the biennial contest including a fan throwing a drink towards his wife Erica Stoll as Europe went on to win on away soil for the first time since 2012.
When the competition heads for Limerick next year, the 36-year-old feels the onus will be on the European team to set the tone for what type of atmosphere they want to generate.
“I would think that the Ryder Cup was a one-off and it was because I was on the opposing team. Yeah, I would hope not. I mean, that remains to be seen,” said McIlroy when asked if he expected a repeat of what happened in Bethpage Black.
“I think that’s up to the home team to set the tone early on in the week. If you see something or you hear something, you point it out straight away. It’s not the way the Ryder Cup should be played. It’s not in the spirit of why the Ryder Cup was created in the first place.
“Yeah, we’ll obviously do everything we can to make sure that the game and the matches are played in the right spirit.”
McIlroy is making his first PGA Tour appearance since August and he doesn’t expect the ill feeling between himself and the American fans to carry over into normal events, starting with his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title defence this week.
“I think the reception that I get most places that I — everywhere I go play is usually amazing and I’m deeply grateful for that. I think the Ryder Cup was just a one-off.”
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