Tom Watson, a legendary figure in American golf, has publicly apologised to Europe's Ryder Cup team for the behaviour of spectators at Bethpage Black, admitting he was 'ashamed' of what occurred. The European team's 15-13 victory was marred by abusive conduct towards visiting players and their families, including an incident where Rory McIlroy's wife, Erica, was struck by a beer thrown from the crowd.
Watson, an eight-time major winner who played in five Ryder Cups and captained the US in 2014, expressed his remorse on social media. 'I'd like to congratulate Europe on their victory,' he wrote on X. 'Your team play the first few days was sensational. More importantly, I'd like to apologise for the rude and mean-spirited behaviour from our American crowd at Bethpage. As a former player, captain and as an American I am ashamed of what happened.' He also conveyed the apology directly to the European team.
Watson's comments stand in stark contrast to those of the current US team. Collin Morikawa had encouraged fans to bring 'chaos', and captain Keegan Bradley stopped short of fully condemning the atmosphere, despite police and dogs lining the fairways. McIlroy, who faced vehement abuse alongside his wife, stated: 'I don't think we should ever accept that in golf.'
European captain Luke Donald, who guided his team to a first victory on US soil since 2012, has been widely praised for his leadership. He took advice from tennis stars like Ivan Lendl on handling a New York crowd. Donald said: 'The weeks we spend together are the ones we remember the most... We'll always go down in history. Now future generations will talk about this team and what they did and how they were able to overcome one of the toughest environments in all of sport.'
Donald's success has made him a favourite for multiple future captaincies, though he has not ruled out a third term. Meanwhile, Justin Rose's strong playing performance may influence his potential captaincy for 2025 at Adare Manor, with Francesco Molinari also in contention. Tiger Woods remains the likely US captain for 2027, but his absence from Bethpage has raised doubts.
