Golf Boss Backtracks, Denounces Fans' Abuse

PGA of America President Don Rea Jr., whose first reaction was to compare vitriolic comments at the recent Ryder Cup with what could be heard at a youth soccer game, apologized Thursday in an email to his organization's 30,000-plus golf professionals. Europe had built a record lead after two days and held on for a 15-13 victory—its six in the last eight Ryder Cups—but the event was marred by a gallery that made it personal and profane, the AP reports. The PGA of America has been criticized for its lack of response to the behavior at New York's Bethpage Black, which began as early as Friday morning when a small group of fans chanted, "(Expletive) you, Rory," upon seeing European star golfer Rory McIlroy's image on a video screen.

It only got worse, with vulgar language directed at European players, video of a beer being slapped out of someone's hand toward McIlroy's wife, Erica, and a comedian hired to lead cheers on the first tee getting involved in the expletive-laden chant toward McIlroy. Rea said in a BBC interview on Sunday morning, "You've got 50,000 people here that are really excited, and heck, you could go to a youth soccer game and get some people who say the wrong things." He went on to say the behavior was distracting American players because they had to spend energy helping to control the crowd. The AP obtained a copy of Rea's letter, which said, "We condemn that behavior unequivocally."

McIlroy began pushing back, telling one spectator to "shut the (expletive) up" during a foursomes match Saturday morning. And McIlroy and Shane Lowry both gave it back to the gallery during their fourballs victory that afternoon. Rea also said during his BBC interview that similar abuse "happens when we're over in Rome on the other side, and Rory understands." English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick said about the Rome reference, "It's pretty offensive to European fans the fact that he said that, really." Derek Sprague, the CEO at the PGA of America, said Tuesday that he planned to apologize personally to McIlroy and his wife.