Footage shows Rory McIlroy’s wife in disbelief as Ryder Cup spectator throws drink at her

Fans behaving badly at the Ryder Cup event at Bethpage Black took a turn for the worse on Saturday when a fan seemed to intentionally swat a drink into the hat of Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll. The incident, captured on video by Movistar, showed Stoll in shock as the drink made contact with her. McIlroy also appeared startled by the incident.

Footage of the incident, which surfaced on social media, depicted McIlroy comforting Stoll before they left the area. The incident appeared to involve a fan hitting a drink out of another fan’s hand, adding to the tension at the event.

Throughout the Ryder Cup, McIlroy received significant taunting from fans, with some chanting the name of CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis in his direction. This behavior followed rumors about McIlroy’s relationship with Balionis amid his divorce proceedings with Stoll the previous year, concluding with the couple reuniting.

The rowdy behavior of the fans at Bethpage Black continued to escalate, with McIlroy eventually snapping and telling the crowd to “shut the f–k up” after enduring heckling before taking a shot. Despite the long-standing tradition of spirited fan behavior at the Ryder Cup, the treatment of Team Europe, particularly McIlroy, at this event crossed the line.

While the atmosphere was seemingly intended to intimidate the European players, it failed to achieve its purpose. The fans at Bethpage Black have not only disrespected the spirit of the game but also hindered the players’ concentration and focus during the competition. Consequently, Team USA’s lackluster performance on the course mirrored the fans’ behavior off it, resulting in a disappointing showing over the first two days.

With Europe holding a commanding lead going into the singles matches on Sunday, it would require a monumental effort from Team USA to mount a comeback and challenge for the Ryder Cup. The disrespectful conduct of the fans, combined with the lack of performance by the American players, has marred what is typically a prestigious and highly anticipated tournament. Let us hope that moving forward, the focus remains on the impressive golf being played on the course rather than disruptive fan behavior off of it.