Shocking Clip Emerges Of Fan Throwing Beer At Rory McIlroy And Wife

A video clip has emerged showing a drink being thrown at the Team Europe star and Erica Stoll during the Saturday afternoon four-ball session

Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup
Footage has emerged of a drink being thrown at Rory McIlroy and wife Erica Stoll
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The two Saturday sessions of the Ryder Cup saw some world-class golf as the Europeans asserted their dominance to win both the foursomes and four-balls 3-1.

That left the visitors on the cusp of victory, with Rory McIlroy playing a pivotal role in Team Europe’s brilliance on Saturday, winning both his matches.

McIlroy’s performance was even more impressive considering the abuse he faced throughout the day.

It started even before his first shot, when Ryder Cup MC Heather McMahan encouraged a chant of “**** you Rory” at the first tee before his morning foursomes match.

During the match, he reacted to fans at the 16th, telling the crowd to “shut the **** up” on his way to a 3&2 win alongside Tommy Fleetwood.

There was another incident in his afternoon four-ball match where partner Shane Lowry was held back by caddie Darren Reynolds over a crowd dispute. In the end, security had to be increased amid the fan disorder to prevent further incidents.

Reports on the ground at Bethpage Black underlined the severity of the abuse, with the Daily Mail’s chief sports writer Oliver Holt describing the vitriol aimed at McIlroy as “vicious,” with a “personal, thuggish edge to it.”

Now, a clip has emerged further highlighting what McIlroy had to endure on Saturday. It shows a drink being thrown from the crowd towards McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll during the four-ball session.

The footage shows the couple’s reaction to the incident, with Stoll turning around with a look of horror and McIlroy looking back towards the crowd. He is then joined by Lowry before the players and Stoll depart the scene.

Considering the incident, it is perhaps remarkable that McIlroy opted against mentioning it following his and Lowry’s 2 up win over Justin Thomas and Cameron Young.

Instead, McIlroy chose to focus on the win, saying: “We're just so happy that we could get a blue point on the board.”

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry after winning the Saturday four-ball

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won the four-ball match

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Following his foursomes win earlier in the day, McIlroy did reference the antics of the crowd, saying: “I don't mind them having a go at us. Like that's to be expected. I mean, that's what an away Ryder Cup is.

“Whenever they are still doing it while you are over the ball and trying to hit your shot, that's the tough thing.

"You know, look, in between shots, say whatever you want to me. That's totally fine. But just let us - you gave us the respect to let us hit shots, and give us the same chance that the Americans have, I guess.”

After Saturday’s play, US captain Keegan Bradley drew criticism for failing to fully condemn the behavior of the fans.

He said: “I didn't see - I mean, I thought the fans were passionate. I mean, their home team is getting beat bad. You know, they are passionate fans.

Keegan Bradley during the Ryder Cup singles session

Keegan Bradley addressed fan behavior after Saturday's action

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“I wasn't at Rome, but I heard a lot of stories that Rome was pretty violent as well. But the fans of New York from what I have seen have been pretty good.

“You're always going to have a few people that cross the line, and that's unfortunate.

“I was happy to see our players trying to quiet down some people that were like that. Part of it our fault. We are not playing up to the standards that they want to see, and they are angry, and they should be.”

Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 


He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 


Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 


Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.