Star golfer Shane Lowry has revealed his wife was the subject of disgusting abuse from fans at last weekend’s Ryder Cup in the United States.
Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, was representing Europe in his first Ryder Cup at Whistling Straights in Wisconsin.
The tournament is renowned for it’s comparatively wild atmosphere, with partisan crowds openly celebrating errors from the opposing team.
Lowry said his initial impressions were positive, but that soon changed.
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“I didn’t think it was that bad until I asked my wife what it was like for her, and they got dog’s abuse going around as well,” he said.
“It’s not very nice for them to have to listen to it, but that’s a small percentage of the crowd.
“Some of the stuff is not very nice. But look, that’s just the way it is. Some people are idiots, especially when they drink.
“Nobody turns into a genius with drinking and that’s what they were doing last week, especially if you were out in the afternoon matches. It was loud.”
The COVID-19 pandemic kept many European fans away, leaving the crowd heavily slanted towards the United States.
The USA scored a 19-9 win over Europe, a record winning margin in the biennial event, a result that left a number of players in tears.
Lowry said he expected the crowds to be rowdy, and flagged it will be even worse when the United States next hosts the event, at New York’s Bethpage Black course in four years’ time, a venue notorious for difficult fans.
“I knew it was going to happen,” he said.
“I said it to my wife at the start of the week. And I warned my dad not to get involved with anyone. It’s just the way it is.
“Bethpage in 2025 is going to be horrendous.”
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