Brendan Mcdermid-Reuters via Imagn Images
Europe’s win at the 2025 Ryder Cup was arguably overshadowed by the boorish behavior of the American fans at Bethpage Black who were roundly criticized for their behavior. Rory McIlroy was not afraid to fire back after being pelted with abuse over the course of the event, and former PGA Tour star Paul Azinger suggested he was in no place to complain about decorum for pushing back.
There was zero doubt Team Europe was going to get a hostile welcome at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black to the point where fans were warned there would be enhanced security to keep them in line a year before the competition got underway. That ended up being the case, and those extra personnel were kept busy courtesy of the far too many spectators who leapt over the line in an attempt to throw members of the visiting team off of its game.
Rory McIlroy was one of the biggest targets of the heckling that tended to skew to the “Cruel and Tragic” side of the spectrum as opposed to the “Cheeky and Fun” end, and he did not mince words when discussing what he (and his wife) had to endure while helping his team secure the 15-13 win over the United States, saying:
“I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf. I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week.
Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people. Sometimes this week we didn’t see that. So no, this should not be what is acceptable in the Ryder Cup.”
The Northern Irishman went out of his way to stress the offending fans comprised a vocal minority, but based on some clips of the ugly language he was subjected to, he was well within his right to complain. However, there’s a four-time Ryder Cup winner (and one-time captain) who took issue with his decision to do so.
Paul Azinger suggested Rory McIlroy lost his right to complain about decorum at the Ryder Cup by swearing while firing back at hecklers
McIlroy was clearly fed up with the fans at Bethpage Black by the second day of the Ryder Cup. He was captured telling members of the gallery to “shut the f—k up” after they refused to quiet down when he addressed the ball, and at one point on Saturday, he let out a few emphatic “F—k you”s to the crowd that frequently pelted him with the same phrase during the event.
His decision to clap back did not sit well with Paul Azinger, the 12-time PGA Tour winner who played for Team USA at the Ryder Cup in 1989, 1991, 1993, and 2002 and captained their winning effort in 2008.
Azinger got the chance to reflect on the most recent Ryder Cup during an appearance on Subpar where he went out of his way to call out McIlroy for the double standard he accused him of promoting by fighting fire with fire, saying he lost his right to complain about decorum by opting to go the route he did.
Paul Azinger takes a shot at Rory McIlroy’s Ryder Cup behaviour:
“Today in the press conference he said ‘I think golf should be held to a higher standard of decorum. But in the meantime he says ‘f-you, f-you, f-you’ in full voice for the world to see.
“He turns around and says… pic.twitter.com/RXclb78L4n
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) September 30, 2025
Would it be easier for McIlroy to call for a higher standard of decorum if he had taken the high road instead of resorting to some profanity? Sure, but I don’t think anyone can really blame him for failing to exercise a superhuman amount of restraint.
At the end of the day, he remains one of golf’s top ambassadors, and any accusations of hypocrisy don’t do much to undermine the incredibly valid point he had about the devolution of fan behavior at the Ryder Cup.