FARMINGDALE, NY — The most polarizing figure on the European Ryder Cup team has become the primary target of U.S. fans at Bethpage Black.
Rory McIlroy was greeted with profane chants as he emerged from the tunnel on the first hole on the second day of competition, reacting to “a******,” and “f*** you, Rory,” by blowing kisses and waving his arms as if to say “bring it on.”
The grandstands surrounding the first tee box and 18th green hold 5,000 fans.
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And for the second straight day, McIlroy got the last laugh as he and Tommy Fleetwood defeated Harris English and Collin Morikawa for the second time in foursomes, this one by 3 and 2.
On Day 1, McIlroy, who lives in Jupiter, extended his middle finger to a heckler while walking off the 11th green during afternoon fourballs. It came as McIlroy and Shane Lowry were facing the U.S. tandem of Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay. The match ended in a tie.
“What we sort of expected,” McIlroy said following the Day 1 match. “It was rowdy and lively. They made it difficult for us, but I felt like Shane and I, we handled that really well and dug in.”
McIlroy and Fleetwood defeated Morikawa and English, 5 and 4, in the morning foursomes on Day 1.
The same two pairings faced each other in foursomes the second day.
McIlroy also was greeted with chants of “U.S. Open” both days. They came on Day 2 as the Northern Irishman was lining up a chip shot by the first green.
McIlroy lost that major at Pinehurst by one shot to Bryson DeChambeau. McIlroy bogeyed three of the final four holes and missed putts from inside four feet on the 16th and 18th greens.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Rory McIlroy reacts to profane chants at Ryder Cup 2025 by blowing kisses, challenging fans
Reporting by Tom D’Angelo, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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