It’s a new week in the world of golf, but the main topic of contention is still very much the same. The American fans took it too far during last week’s Ryder Cup; that much is obvious to anyone. The insults and jeers hurled at the European team, from behind the ropes, outraged players and fans alike, including Piers Morgan.
Ahead of his return to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Golf Today chatted to the man who deals in spades when it comes to controversy.
“I thought some of the behaviour of the fans was disgusting”, explained Piers Morgan, moments before his late tee time at the Old Course, St Andrews. “But that seemed to fuel our boys, and we got into a pretty unassailable position from it.”
Morgan seems to have hit the nail on the head with the word ‘disgusting’. Even the Master of Ceremonies at Bethpage Black joined in on the abuse of Team Europe, stepping down from her role after leading a “F*** you, Rory” chant, ahead of Saturday’s foursomes.
McIlroy, the talisman of Team Europe, shouldered most of the incessant jeers himself. “It was a rough week for all of us. But at the same time, we shut them up by our performance and how we played. I chirped back a few times because it got to me a few times, but we tried to handle everything that came our way with class and poise, and for the most part, I felt like we did that”, he told the media during the team press conference on Sunday night.
Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre were subject to a number of weight-loss jokes, whilst the rest of the team were forced to endure endless heckling, as some patrons could be heard shouting in European backswings. To make it worse, Erica Stoll (wife of Rory McIlroy) was hit by a can of beer, moments after her husband closed out his third full point of the week during Saturday’s four-balls. McIlroy has since confirmed that Stoll was fine, praising her for her “class and poise and dignity”.
Despite his busy schedule, Piers Morgan carved out some time to indulge in the magic of the Ryder Cup: “I watched a lot of it, and watched all of the last day… it was thrilling to watch”.
As Europe retained the Ryder Cup, courtesy of a Shane Lowrie birdie on the 18th, American fans were seen filtering off the course in droves, leaving the European fans to celebrate their victory in full voice. Having comfortably taken the first four sessions of the competition, Europe faltered at the Sunday Singles, narrowly edging over the line, having taken just three points from 11 in the final day.
The English broadcaster (and keen golfer) was enthusiastic in his assessment of the day.
“The main takeaway is that it seems that when our players get abused, they play a lot better than when they don’t. Maybe we should bear that in mind in Ireland”.
Tom Watson, a former captain and five-time player for Team USA, has apologised to the Europeans on behalf of the “rude and mean-spirited behaviour” from the American crowd: “As a former player, captain and as an American, I am ashamed of what happened.”
Related: Europe retains Ryder Cup, USA valiant comeback fails
