The Ryder Cup came to an exciting end on Sunday, resulting in a 15-13 victory for Europe. But the story of this year's Ryder Cup was not the play, but rather the persistent, intense, and vulgar jeers American fans hurled at the European players.
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Every European golfer was greeted with expletives and the occasional beer can, but Rory McIlroy—the world's No. 2 player and the de facto leader of the European team—was the main target.
It would be one thing if it was just the fans, but the PGA of America, the official host of the event, came under fire when actress and comedian Heather McMahan, who they hired as master of ceremonies for the first tee, led American fans in a "F*** you Rory" chant on Saturday morning.
"I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week," McIlroy said. "Golf has the ability to unite people. ... 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."
They have someone MCing the first tee trying to lead chants and it is not working /resulting in boos. A De-Cham-beau led chant lasted couple beats before turning into a “F U Rory” which also came over the mic. pic.twitter.com/rxewFa9cAj
— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) September 27, 2025
McMahan stepped down on Sunday, followed by a PGA of America statement: "Heather has extended an apology to Rory McIlroy and Ryder Cup Europe and has stepped down from hosting the first tee of the Ryder Cup."
It is unclear whether McMahan was forced to step down or did so on her own. She later posted on TikTok with a follow-up opinion on the ordeal, commenting, "I apologized, but I agree it was a little Salem-witch-esque blaming me for the New York sports scene."
McMahan makes an interesting point. On one hand, it did feel like she was a sacrificial lamb to redeem the reputation of American golf. On the other hand, she was a paid member of the event staff and should be held to a higher standard than the average fan.
Controversy aside, the Americans' bid to complete one of the greatest comebacks in sports history fell just short.
They entered Sunday down 11.5 to 4.5 (Europe needed 14 points to retain the Cup) and stormed back into contention until Shane Lowry clinched the Cup for Europe in his singles match against Russell Henley.
It is Europe's third victory in the last four Cups, and the first time the visiting team has won since 2012.
