Rory McIlroy Had a Savage Three-Word Answer About Heated Moment With Ryder Cup Fans

Rory McIlroy loved hitting a great shot after telling Ryder Cup fans to shut up.
Rory McIlroy loved hitting a great shot after telling Ryder Cup fans to shut up. / @GolfDigest

Rory McIlroy had quite a week at the Ryder Cup where he helped lead Team Europe to its first win on foreign soil since 2012. The No. 2 player in the world went 3-1-1 in the five matches he played in and while he lost his singles match on Sunday to Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy played a pivotal role in his team's victory.

One of the biggest storylines over the weekend, however, was a bad one for McIlroy as he was constantly harassed by U.S. fans who were often heard shouting awful things at him as he made his way around the course. His wife was also seen getting a beer thrown at her, which was one of the low points of the event.

During Saturday afternoon's four-ball format TV cameras caught McIlroy stepping away from his ball before a shot and telling the crowd to "shut the f--- up" before stepping back in and hitting a beautiful approach shot to a few feet.

During Sunday night's victorious press conference, McIlroy was asked how satisfying it felt to hit that shot after having such a tense moment with the fans.

His answer was perfect: "Very f------ satisfying," McIlroy said.

Good for McIlroy. The abuse he and his wife took from fans at Bethpage Black crossed the line way too many times and those people should be ashamed of themselves for the things they said and how they acted.

McIlroy got the last laugh, though, and it seems like it felt pretty darn good.


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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.