Rory McIlroy has expressed his gratitude towards PGA of America chief executive Derek Sprague for apologizing personally after Europe's Ryder Cup triumph at Bethpage Black, which was marred by the abuse directed at him and his wife.
The apology from Sprague came as a surprise to McIlroy, who received a heartfelt letter from the PGA chief, which he described as "lovely" and showed "he couldn't have been more gracious or apologetic". The email was all the more touching given that Erica, Rory's wife, had previously worked with Sprague at the PGA of America.
McIlroy himself did not take the abuse in stride, stating that while it might be seen as a compliment to be targeted by the rowdy crowd, it was "a tough week" for him and his teammates. However, he believes that the experience ultimately brought them closer together, galvanizing their resolve and leading to a narrow victory.
In contrast, USA captain Keegan Bradley declined to condemn the fans' behavior, describing it as "passionate". McIlroy credits the team's unity with helping to overcome the adversity.
Looking ahead to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, McIlroy reflected on what he considers a career-defining campaign. The 10-month period has been filled with milestones and surprises, none more so than the Ryder Cup triumph.
McIlroy also weighed in on LIV Golf's decision to expand from three-hole events to 72 holes, starting next year. While the move is seen as an attempt to secure official world ranking points, McIlroy doubts that it will significantly benefit LIV players' standings. He believes that even with expanded events, LIV golfers may struggle to make a meaningful impact due to their relatively weak field strength.
McIlroy's take on the situation suggests that while the change may help LIV golfers get ranking points, it may not necessarily improve their standing in the world rankings.
The apology from Sprague came as a surprise to McIlroy, who received a heartfelt letter from the PGA chief, which he described as "lovely" and showed "he couldn't have been more gracious or apologetic". The email was all the more touching given that Erica, Rory's wife, had previously worked with Sprague at the PGA of America.
McIlroy himself did not take the abuse in stride, stating that while it might be seen as a compliment to be targeted by the rowdy crowd, it was "a tough week" for him and his teammates. However, he believes that the experience ultimately brought them closer together, galvanizing their resolve and leading to a narrow victory.
In contrast, USA captain Keegan Bradley declined to condemn the fans' behavior, describing it as "passionate". McIlroy credits the team's unity with helping to overcome the adversity.
Looking ahead to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, McIlroy reflected on what he considers a career-defining campaign. The 10-month period has been filled with milestones and surprises, none more so than the Ryder Cup triumph.
McIlroy also weighed in on LIV Golf's decision to expand from three-hole events to 72 holes, starting next year. While the move is seen as an attempt to secure official world ranking points, McIlroy doubts that it will significantly benefit LIV players' standings. He believes that even with expanded events, LIV golfers may struggle to make a meaningful impact due to their relatively weak field strength.
McIlroy's take on the situation suggests that while the change may help LIV golfers get ranking points, it may not necessarily improve their standing in the world rankings.
, its really cool to see someone taking responsibility for the fans' behavior 
rory's reaction about the whole experience being a "tough week" but actually bringing him closer to his teammates is super inspiring 
he's just so humble and gracious about it all 
but its great to see him take it on the chin and come out stronger 
Derek Sprague's apology is so cool, like a big ol' hug for Rory and everyone involved 
...I think that just added fuel to the fire lol. LIV golf expanding their events from 3-hole to 72 holes next year? idk about this one 
...if they're really trying to get more ranking points then its a good move, but i still think it'll be tough for them to compete with the big boys like Rory and the DP Tour Championship crew 
. glad to see him taking it all in stride tho, doesn't seem like he's holding any grudges 
he's still reeling from the ryan cup win but at least Derek sprague apologized to him and his wife erica personally which is so sweet 
anyway back to rory... he's saying that the abuse they took from the crowd actually brought them closer together as a team 
gotta say i'm curious to see what happens with lvi golf's new format, seems like it could make a difference but idk if its gonna give em players any real ranking points 
. and yeah I can see how being targeted by fans would bring your team closer together - it's like, you've got to stand united against the hate 
. Rory's right that their field strength is weak - can't they just stick to what works? 
so Rory's all like "aww thanks for apologizing Derek, that was super classy of you" 
but let's be real, if he didn't get a personal email from Sprague, he probably would've been too busy getting roasted by fans to even care about the Ryder Cup. And now McIlroy's over here giving credit to the team for coming together despite the chaos... like, we get it, you guys worked hard and won 
And to be honest, I don't think anyone would've blamed him for being a bit salty about it. But at least the team came together and stuff worked out in the end 
, but it's hard to see how that's actually gonna make a difference for the players. Still, I guess only time will tell 
they got roasted at the ryder cup but you know what they said now? tht experience brought dem closer together like a real couple 
but seriously mcilroy's take on liv golf is spot on imo 
and now he's talkin about how the hate towards him and erica got them closer as a team 
that's so beautiful to me, i mean who needs negativity when you've got a hubby and teammates who've got your back? 
and btw i'm low-key invested in rory's opinion on liv golf 
that'd be so refreshing not having to watch another richie-rich try to buy their way to the top 
! I mean, I've seen some crazy crowds in my day, but this was on a whole other level 
. I feel so bad for Rory and his wife Erica, dealing with all that abuse 
. But at the same time, I love how strong they stood together as a team 
... yeah, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. I don't think expanding to 72 holes will automatically make them a top-tier tour 
. The field strength just isn't there yet. But hey, more points are always good, right? 
! He's having an incredible year and deserves all the love 
. Can't wait to see what he does next 
, it's crazy how far he's come, but you know who gets a gold star for being classy? derek sprague, the pga of america chief exec, i mean i wasn't around back when he was working with rory's wife erica, but it's cool to see him apologize personally after everything that went down, and now they're just like old pals, that's what i call a win 
.
, especially given Erica's background with him at the PGA of America. The personal apology shows that even in the high-pressure environment of professional golf, empathy and class can prevail.
. As captain, he should be setting a positive tone for his players, but instead, he downplays the behavior as "passionate". It's not necessarily about condemning the fans, but also acknowledging the unacceptable nature of verbal abuse.
. While it may help them secure ranking points, McIlroy's doubts are well-founded – their field strength just isn't on par with the rest of the tour. The question remains: will this change be enough to bridge the gap and make LIV players more competitive?