Team Europe’s historic Ryder Cup success at Bethpage Black is remembered by many for the players’ actions off the course, rather than their performance on the course.
Luke Donald masterminded the first away success for either team in the Ryder Cup since 2012, giving his team a record-breaking advantage in singles Sunday with a 15-13 victory over Team USA.
The performances, especially during the first two days, were made all the more impressive considering the hostile atmosphere faced by the New York crowd, with Rory McIlroy among those who were subjected to distractions and harsh personal and nasty abuse during filming.
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See how Team Europe used virtual reality to prepare for the Ryder Cup in New York.
“The Ryder Cup at Bethpage was probably the most mentally demanding I’ve ever been,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “You might want to spend those few days without it affecting you, but I think at some point something gets through to you and you react.”
Chants of “Fuck you, Rory” greeted McIlroy on the first tee each day, but the Grand Slam winner responded by telling hecklers to “shut up” before hitting a point-winning approach against the foursome on Saturday.
“I reacted a few times that week, and every time I reacted, whether it was hitting a good shot or keeping a putt in the hole, whatever it was, I felt like I responded well,” McIlroy added.
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Rory McIlroy refuses to make a putt amid loud abuse from the US crowd during a heated afternoon session in New York
“In some ways, it was a week where those three or four seconds over the golf ball didn’t matter as much because of what I was hearing and what was happening.
“Looking back, you’d want to take it as a compliment that they targeted me more than anyone else, because it meant they saw me as a threat, which is ultimately a good thing.”
Later that day, extra security was introduced to control fan behavior, with multiple spectators being ejected during Saturday’s four-ball session and Shane Lowry having to be held back by his caddy as he confronted a heckler.
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Shane Lowry was seen trying to confront someone who was heckling Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup, only to be stopped by his caddy.
“I don’t think Darren (Reynolds) would hold me back if I really wanted it,” Lowry told Sky Sports. “It was wild and crazy, but somehow memorable.”
Lowry won with a 15-foot birdie on the 15th hole, tied Team USA’s birdie on the par-3 17th, and sealed the 2-up victory for him and McIlroy with an impressive approach on the final par-4.
“People are talking about Shane and how he was Rory’s bodyguard, but that negates the golf that Shane played those two days,” McIlroy claimed. “He played great on Friday and basically beat us in the game Saturday afternoon.
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A look back at how Team Europe dealt with Bethpage’s raucous crowd on Day 2 of the Ryder Cup
“He lives for the Ryder Cup. On paper, Shane and I in four-ball probably weren’t the best match-up or the best pair statistically, but statistics can’t tell you what it’s like to go into a game with someone you have full confidence in and who’s going to protect you.
“It was great to be out there with Shane and no one else on Friday and Saturday afternoons, especially in those two games because I felt like he gave me the cushion that I needed.”
How McIlroy and Lowry enjoyed their ‘incredible’ day
McIlroy and Lowry’s wins over Justin Thomas and Cameron Young were part of another winning session for Team Europe, which entered Sunday’s singles with a seven-point advantage, the largest lead in Ryder Cup history.
McIlroy and Lowry formed the European team’s unbeaten partnership in Ryder Cup success
“I told everyone how I dragged Lowry around, but Lowry was inside me every hole. I just holed the putt before him,” Lowry admitted. “We played unbelievable. He was so tired, so drained, we dragged each other around.
“That Saturday afternoon was one of the most memorable days ever. It was incredible.”
Lowry secured a half-point with a single and was proud of his performance alongside McIlroy the day before, but he rallied from two down with the remaining holes to line Russell Henry and ensure the Europeans retained the trophy.
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Lowry looks back on the putt that ensured the European team retained the Cup on American soil
“Me and Rory are going to sit down after work in 20 years and be like, ‘Do you remember that time, Saturday afternoon at Bethpage?'” Lowry added.
“Honestly, I laid in bed that night and told my wife that it was literally the best afternoon I’ve ever had on a golf course. It would have been terrible if we had lost the match, but we stood up to the crowd, we stood up to everyone, and we played some unbelievable golf.”
Watch McIlroy ’25: A Career Year, a new documentary looking back on his historic 2025, as well as a special new Ryder Cup documentary, on Sky Sports Golf this Christmas. Get Sky Sports now and stream without a contract.
