Rory McIlroy has claimed that United States Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley missed a key opportunity to address abusive crowd behaviour during last year’s fiercely contested Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

Europe successfully retained the Ryder Cup with a dramatic 15–13 victory in New York, becoming the first away team to win the competition since 2012. However, the triumph was overshadowed by what McIlroy described as relentless and unacceptable abuse from sections of the home crowd throughout the opening two days of the event.

McIlroy and Family Targeted by Hostile Crowd

McIlroy, who has represented Europe in eight Ryder Cups, revealed that the atmosphere went far beyond normal partisan support. The world number two said that his wife, Erica, was struck by a drink thrown by a spectator, while deeply offensive comments were directed at both her and their young daughter, Poppy.

Speaking on The Overlap, McIlroy explained that while he was prepared for hostility, the nature of the abuse crossed a line.

“We knew going to New York that we were going to get a lot of stick, a lot of abuse,” he said. “But when it starts to involve your family, that’s when it becomes horrific.”

McIlroy added that he could tolerate personal taunts, even brushing off an MC-led chant containing expletives aimed at him, but felt the treatment of his family was completely unacceptable.

Claim Bradley Had the Platform to Calm Tensions

McIlroy believes that US captain Keegan Bradley, as the most prominent figure of the week, could have used his position to help de-escalate the situation, particularly on the Friday and Saturday evenings when tensions were at their highest.

“You have to play into the home-field advantage, absolutely,” McIlroy said. “But there was an opportunity to say, ‘Let’s calm this down and play the match in the right spirit.’”

While acknowledging that some American players attempted to strike a better tone, McIlroy felt Bradley’s voice would have carried the most weight.

“Keegan had the biggest platform of the week. I feel like he could have said something on the Friday or Saturday night, and he didn’t.”

McIlroy confirmed that he has since discussed the issue directly with Bradley.

Worst Atmosphere McIlroy Has Experienced

Despite having played in some notoriously hostile Ryder Cups — including Brookline in 1999 and Hazeltine in 2016 — McIlroy said the Bethpage Black crowd was the worst he has encountered in his career.

“In 2016, I thought that was bad,” he said. “But that was nothing compared to some of the stuff we heard this time.”

The Northern Irishman admitted losing his composure during Saturday’s foursomes when he swore at a spectator, but said the broader issue reflected a growing societal problem.

“It’s that mob mentality,” McIlroy explained. “People see others doing it and think it’s OK. Then it builds.”

Partisan Atmosphere a Double-Edged Sword

McIlroy noted that the Ryder Cup’s unique intensity is part of what makes it golf’s most compelling event, but warned that partisan passion must not spill into abuse.

With as many as 50,000 spectators packed tightly around a small number of holes during the opening sessions, even a small minority of disruptive fans can dramatically alter the atmosphere.

He added that conditions improved on Sunday as crowds became more spread out across the course for the singles matches.

“It’s the only time in golf you get that real rivalry,” McIlroy said. “That’s why it’s probably the biggest tournament in the game. But there’s a line — and at times, that line was crossed.”