At the Ryder Cup, the Bethpage Black crowd showed their support for the Americans, even though the team captained by Keegan Bradley faced its biggest disadvantage in nearly four decades. The enthusiastic New Yorkers, known for switching sides when a struggling home team faced a struggling team, kept their energy focused on cheering the Americans against the Europeans. Rory McIlroy, after a decisive shot in the morning foursomes, responded to the cheers of the crowd with a kiss, while facing boos on the first tee during the afternoon fourballs.
With Europe leading 8 1/2 to 3 1/2, DeChambeau said, “We would love to give the fans more reasons to go crazy, but I think that’s still a long way off.”
A recurring theme at the Ryder Cup has been the backlash toward the European team. Fans counted down Robert MacIntyre before his shot on the 17th hole, with one calling him “a big bag of milk.” McIlroy has handled the pressure of the insults well, though he has demanded respect during his shots.
The Americans' Challenge
“Between shots, you can tell me whatever you want,” McIlroy said. “That’s totally fine. But I just ask that you give us the respect to let us play our shots, and that you give us the same opportunity the Americans have.”
In this context, Europe has proven to be more effective with its shots. The last time a team led the Ryder Cup by five points was in 1987. Captain Luke Donald praised his players for how they handled the hostile environment on a public course in Long Island, where such reactions were expected. “I'm proud of the guys; they handled the situation well in a difficult environment,” said Donald.
Now it remains to be seen how world number one Scottie Scheffler and his fellow Americans will respond if the crowd decides to turn against them.
