The ugly scenes at the Ryder Cup, where European players were subjected to slurs and crude insults about their families, were a reflection of the breakdown in public discourse in America, observers have said. The behaviour of some fans at Bethpage Black in New York escalated from partisan to venomous, with homophobic slurs and cheap shots aimed at players' nationalities.
Rory McIlroy was a particular target, with spectators shouting abuse during his pre-shot routine. Shane Lowry acted as a minder for his teammate, while Justin Thomas shushed his own grandstand so opponents could putt. The presence of Donald Trump, who flew in on Friday for fist bumps and photo-ops, was seen as giving license to the worst behaviour.
The PGA of America responded by bolstering policing and pushing spectator etiquette messages on big screens, but critics said enforcement was too slow. The first-tee master of ceremonies, Heather McMahan, stepped down after leading a chant of 'Fuck you Rory!' on Saturday morning. Luke Donald, the European captain, praised his team's 'anti-fragile' temperament and drew a firm boundary between 'raucous' and 'personal'.
Keegan Bradley, the USA captain, defended the fans as passionate and pointed to his team's flat play as a trigger for their restlessness. However, many observers argued that the incidents were not a one-off but part of a broader breakdown in public behaviour in America, where school-board meetings sound like street rallies and comment sections have spilled into the street.
