Gary Neville has jokingly told Roy Keane to apologise to Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll for suggesting she should have missed the Ryder Cup. The comments were made on The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast, where Keane previously said he would have told his partner to stay in the hotel amid fan abuse.
During last year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, McIlroy and Stoll faced constant abuse from US fans. Despite the hostile atmosphere, Team Europe secured a 15-13 victory. The incident was discussed on the podcast, with Neville urging Keane to apologise before McIlroy joined the show.
Keane, surprised by the request, said: 'How did I insult her? For getting a new outfit, how is that an insult?' His original comments suggested that if he were a golfer, he would tell his partner to stay at the hotel to avoid abuse, referencing Stoll's new outfit as a reason for her attendance.
McIlroy, when shown the clip, revealed that his wife 'loved this' and explained that he had also suggested his wife avoid the tournament due to concerns about abuse. He said: 'We knew going to New York that we were going to get a lot of stick... I was saying, why don't the girls just go into New York City for the week?'
McIlroy added that the wives and partners chose to attend to show support, and he did not want their presence to affect the team's mood. Following Europe's win, PGA of America chief executive Derek Sprague sent a formal apology to McIlroy for the abuse endured.
