Derek Sprague was standing on the first tee box Saturday morning with other members of PGA of America leadership when Ryder Cup emcee Heather McMahan took the megaphone and promoted the chant, “F— you, Rory.”
The PGA of America CEO and fellow senior staffers immediately agreed: “She’s done.” By Saturday evening, the PGA of America released a statement that the comedian apologized to Rory McIlroy and stepped down from her emcee role.
Advertisement
It was not the last apology necessary — the days following the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black have been filled with regret, debate and discussion about the role of fan behavior in Ryder Cups going forward after the European team suffered a steady stream of abuse last week on Long Island.
The primary target of that abuse was McIlroy, the golfing superstar and face of the European team.
McIlroy won both of his matches Saturday while hearing lewd insults about his personal life, homophobic slurs and a steady stream of expletives during his backswing. His wife, Erica, also had a drink land on her.
The tensions rose enough that McIlroy and playing partner Shane Lowry eventually returned the expletives right back.
It did not help the PGA of America’s case that its president, Don Rea, told BBC Sport on Monday that “Things l
Continue Reading on New York Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.