Rory McIlroy does not want a repeat of the abuse which surrounded him during Europe’s Ryder Cup victory over the United States at Bethpage Black when the 2027 tournament arrives in Ireland.
McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll were repeatedly targeted verbally by spectators as the Europeans clinched a 15-13 victory at the New York course in September.
The teams will reconvene next September at Adare Manor in Limerick, and the 36-year-old believes it will be up to him and his team-mates to address any unseemly behaviour.
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Watch some of the best shots from the 2025 Ryder Cup
Asked if there might be a greater focus on crowd behaviour because of what happened at Bethpage, McIlroy said: “That’s up to the home team to set the tone early on in the week. If you see something or you hear something, you point it out straight away.
“It’s not the way the Ryder Cup should be played. It’s not in the spirit of why the Ryder Cup was created in the first place.
“We’ll obviously do everything we can to make sure that the game and the matches are played in the right spirit.”
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A look at how Team Europe dealt with a raucous Bethpage crowd on day two of the Ryder Cup.
McIlroy is preparing to defend his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title, his first PGA Tour event of the year, and is confident he will not face a similar reception this time around.
He said: “I would think that the Ryder Cup was a one-off and it was because I was on the opposing team. I would hope not. That remains to be seen.
“The reception that I get most places that I go to play is usually amazing and I’m deeply grateful for that. The Ryder Cup was just a one-off.”
McIlroy trails only Scottie Scheffler in the world rankings heading into the tournament, but knows only consistency will help him bridge the gap to the world No 1.
He said: “I’ll never stop singing Scottie’s praises because he’s incredible at what he’s doing and the way he does it. I’ve had nice runs like that, but I’ve always been a little more up and down.
“Anyone that wants to catch Scottie or get anywhere close is going to have to consistently bring that sort of game week in and week out like he does. He’s really the first one since Tiger [Woods] that’s doing this.”
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Take a look back at the best shots from an unforgettable 2025 for McIlroy as he completed a career Grand Slam, won the Ryder Cup and claimed another Race to Dubai trophy
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose also heads into Pebble Beach in fine form having won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in a record 23 under par, and the 45-year-old is confident there is more to come.
Asked about his game, Rose said: “I don’t want to over-analyse it, to be honest with you. I just want to keep pushing. I think that’s the most important thing, I’m keeping pushing.
“I can still be better. I’m not really looking at what’s going well, I still look at what could be better, so I’m not very good at celebrating the good stuff, I’m more into: ‘Why is that not as good as it should be?'”
Watch the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am live on Sky Sports Golf from 3.45pm on Thursday, with coverage also on Sky Sports Main Event from 5pm. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
