Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy flip off fans in wild Ryder Cup scene
Team Europe seemed to show their feelings toward the American fans during the opening day of the Ryder Cup.
Both Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy shot the middle finger towards the crowd at Bethpage Black on Friday in response to the rowdy crowds.
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McIlroy was caught on video seemingly shooting the bird at the crowd behind the 11th green after the European pair went two up on the United States’ Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns in the afternoon session.
It is unclear what exactly provoked the reaction from McIlroy, and an additional picture showed Lowry throwing up his middle finger during play.
Lowry and McIlroy showed a lot of emotion on the course Friday, with the latter screaming after sinking a birdie putt to win the sixth hole before bumping chests with his partner.
When McIlroy arrived on the first tee, he was greeted with a roaring “f–k you, Rory” from the crowd, with fans going at Europe’s golfers throughout the day.
McIlroy, 36, was seemingly unaffected by the hecklers, as the No. 2-ranked golfer won a third consecutive match with Tommy Fleetwood in the morning foursomes.
Ahead of the tournament, McIlroy told reporters that he was attempting to find a balance with “using the energy from the crowds” without letting them get the best of him, saying that he had mixed results when trying to do so in the past.
“I felt like at Hazeltine (in 2016, where the US won 17-11), I probably engaged too much at times, and then at Whistling Straits (in 2021, when the US won 19-9), I didn’t engage enough and felt pretty flat because of it. It’s just trying to find that balance,” he said.
Europe holds a 5 ½-2 ½ lead over the United States following Friday’s play, and McIlroy said that he and Lowry did a good job dealing with the crowds.
“[It was] what we expected,” McIlroy told reporters about the fans, according to the Telegraph. “It was rowdy and lively.
They made it difficult for us. But I felt Shane and I handled that really well and dug in.”
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