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American Crowd Can't Break Rory

Sept 28, 2025 | Edition #203
👋 Hey Golf Fans,
Rory McIlroy's been in the Bethpage hot seat all week, weathering a torrent of abuse from rowdy fans. Yet, despite their best efforts to rattle him, McIlroy was locked in. We'll dissect his last two days, along with a fiery Keegan Bradley quote that we couldn’t help but take note of, and more, in today's edition.
Let’s get swinging…


Unleashed

It all started with a practiced and perfected chant of “F**k you, Rory!” You could argue that Ryder Cup has always thrived on chaos – (somewhat) controlled chaos. Perhaps even ask: without the noise, what’s the fun in the Ryder Cup? But in Rory’s case, it’s worse.
Imagine hearing sinister insults directed at your family while you are standing on top of your ball. Or in the middle of your downswing. Earlier this week, Rory was appreciative of the banter and even acknowledged a few good ones. But after drinking from morning to afternoon, some fans took that liberty for granted. Yesterday, Justin Thomas, NYPD officers, and Suffolk County Police had to step in.
It did rattle Rory a bit. He gave the one-finger salute, blew kisses, and even refused to play until they stopped. In fact, he yelled “shut the f**k up” at one point. He nailed the approach shot four feet to the pin seconds later.
But our personal favorite was this savage response on the 15th. Rory just silenced the entire gallery without uttering a single word. Check out the mic-drop moment here.
Did all this heckling affect his game? You be the judge:
Rory has earned 3.5 points.
Remains undefeated in foursomes paired with Fleetwood.
Ranks third in approach shots in the entire field this week.
Of course, Rory played a huge part in Europe’s historic seven-point lead. And you can expect a return of the same fire when he goes up against Scottie Scheffler. But…
Ryder Cup passion sometimes blurs the line between right and wrong. It’s unlikely Rory will forget how he was treated yesterday. Even if he comes on top. Every. Single. Time.

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Clutch

Well, beyond the heckling, a lot happened on Saturday at Bethpage. We've got three such moments you definitely missed!
Flex: Justin Rose caught fire yesterday. During the fourball, on an eight-hole stretch, the Englishman made six birdies. The sixth one, on the 8th, was a walk-in 21-footer that legendary Brad Faxon dubbed the greatest he has ever seen. And we agree with him. Watch the GREATEST (and coldest) walk-in putt you will ever see in the Ryder Cup.
Tense: The Ryder Cup has turned into a one-way street. No surprise the USA captain wasn’t in a cheerful mood yesterday. So, when a reporter asked Keegan Bradley if he and his boys were partly to blame for unruly fan behavior, he clapped back. Keegan tried to control his anger as best he could, but you will clearly sense the rage in his voice when you listen to his response here.
Friend: Rory said he was glad to have Lowry on his side during the Fourballs yesterday, and this one moment tells you why. On the 4th hole, a fan hurled an abusive insult towards Rory while he was on top of his ball. He missed the putt, but Lowry didn’t. After draining the clutch eagle putt, he blasted the fan with this loud and pointed F-bomb.
Well, that pretty much sums up day two of the Ryder Cup. But before we move on to our prediction for today, we’ve a question for you…

Do You Think American Players Should Have Done More to Calm the Crowd? |
Saturday’s Results: 78.02% of you said Team USA will NOT make a comeback.

Predictable

The USA needs to win 10 of the 12 singles matches today. No wonder Keegan Bradley pulled all the stops with some solid pairings for Sunday singles. A Rory McIlroy vs Scottie Scheffler face-off is golden. So is Jon Rahm vs Xander Schauffele. But Bryson DeChambeau vs Matt Fitzpatrick has us confused.
DeChambeau's fiery start fizzled out with a 1-3-0 record, while Fitzpatrick has already added 2 points to the European side. Yes, match-play is a tricky business, but the stats favor Fitzpatrick, who leads in Strokes Gained: Total (+4.21) over DeChambeau (+1.93). Other than a few flashes of brilliance, Bryson’s clutch short game has left him.
In retrospect, a power hitter (Bryson) vs a precision master (Tommy) would have been another box office. And no, it’s not just because of this fiery moment between the two.
A Fleetwood vs DeChambeau match-up would’ve been less predictable. Because Bryson, despite his poor form, would have enjoyed a massive advantage from his distance off the tee. Fleetwood, on the other hand, had to rely more on his approach play and short game to outclass DeChambeau. However, against Fitzpatrick, that edge is somewhat nullified.
Similarly, Tommy Fleetwood vs. Justin Thomas, for instance, suddenly seems like a lopsided battle. JT has struggled — even in crowd control, despite his best efforts — netting just one point in three outings. Thomas would play to save his face, whereas Fleetwood is chasing a perfect 5-0 record to become the only sixth player to do that. Data Golf puts Fleetwood first in SG: Total (+6.42) while JT's lagging at -0.62. The Englishman is likely to roll with this one.
So yes, a DeChambeau vs Fleetwood showdown would've been a different story altogether. Instead, we get a match that seems to have a foregone conclusion.
More Ryder Cup Insights: Health Alert for Viktor Hovland as Luke Donald Speaks Out Hours After Abrupt Exit

Paige Spiranac criticizes Team USA after Keegan Bradley’s second day approach backfires once again.
PGA of America emcee loses her job as her expletive chants caused a stir on Saturday.
Veteran golfer offers explanation after his ‘Spanish passport’ joke about Jon Rahm is misinterpreted as offensive.

Charm Amid Chaos

Yes, the Long Island Ryder Cup is serving up an (un)healthy dose of chaos. But it’s not all bleak out here in Bethpage. Some rare sweet moments and amusing banter caught our attention. Take this Tommy Fleetwood one, for example. This single picture of Fleetwood taking special care of this four-legged ‘fan’ will tell you why even American fans find it hard not to root for him.
Then, in another instance from yesterday, a group of European fans was seen ‘cheering’ Bryson and Xander. At the range. With a special chant. Watch the hilarious moment here.
When they’re not on the fairways, some of golf’s biggest names have garages that rival their trophy cases. From Ferraris to Bentleys, these collections reflect both personal taste and a love for speed.
1. Rory McIlroy: From a Ferrari F430 and F12 Berlinetta to a Range Rover Sport and BMW i8, McIlroy drives luxury supercars. Here is Rory driving the i8.
2. Bryson DeChambeau: Spotted in a Bentley and known for his taste in powerful rides, DeChambeau has embraced luxury as part of his off-course persona. Check out his picture with the Bentley Bentayga.
3. Rickie Fowler: Fowler has been associated with high-end exotics and sports cars, frequently photographed with custom and rare models. Watch the PGA Tour pro with his favorite car here.
4. Dustin Johnson: DJ has been linked with sleek performance cars and understated luxury models fitting his lifestyle. He once hit 300 — read all about that here.
5. Ian Poulter: Golf’s ultimate Ferrari aficionado — Enzo, F40, LaFerrari Aperta, 288 GTO, and even more rare classics fill his garage. Here is an inside look at his enviable Ferrari collection.


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