The CEO of PGA of America, Derek Sprague, expressed his personal regret to pro golfer Rory McIlroy and his spouse, Erica Stoll, following a series of verbal abuses directed at them during the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
Sprague, who assumed the role of CEO in January, confirmed that he contacted McIlroy, 36, and Stoll, 38, due to the disparagement they experienced throughout the weekend.
“I conveyed a detailed email to both Rory and Erica, assuring them that we will improve in the future,” Sprague remarked to The Athletic on Thursday, October 2. “As the CEO, I cannot condone such behavior. This is detrimental to golf, the Ryder Cup, and all professional athletes involved. We need to do better.”
He further shared that he held an extensive conversation with McIlroy’s manager, Sean O’Flaherty, to express his sorrow and discuss measures the PGA of America will enact to avoid such incidents in the future.
“I was immensely disappointed,” Sprague shared. “I cannot overlook the conduct of the fans, the first tee emceeing, and the event’s overall atmosphere. This is not representative of our values.”
The uproar began on the morning of Saturday, September 27, when Ryder Cup emcee Heather McMahan took to the microphone at the first tee, rallying the crowd with a chant of “F*** you, Rory.”
Sprague and other officials were present at the event, and by the evening, McMahan had issued an apology and resigned from her role.
McIlroy faced a barrage of insults and heckling during his matches, and on Saturday, September 27, Stoll was accidentally hit by a drink as she mingled with the spectators. Sprague, who has known Stoll since her tenure with the PGA of America, highlighted the organization’s failure to safeguard its players and their families.
“It’s challenging to set clear boundaries regarding acceptable conduct,” Sprague noted. “You have to witness it firsthand. When incidents were reported, security—whether from state police or hired personnel—responded as appropriate. We removed several individuals from the premises for unruly behavior or repositioned them away from certain matches to minimize disruption.”
Sprague’s views stood in stark contrast to those of PGA of America president Don Rea, who told BBC Sport on Monday, September 29, that “incidents like these are expected. They occurred when we were in Rome too.”
This dismissive stance did not sit well with Team Europe, who snatched the trophy from Team USA with a final score of 15-13 after a dramatic comeback attempt by the Americans on the concluding day.
“What the PGA of America representative said about it being similar in Rome—he clearly wasn’t present,” stated Team Europe’s Matt Fitzpatrick to reporters from BBC on Wednesday, October 2, ahead of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. “Either he wasn’t there or was misinformed because it’s never been like that. It’s generally lighthearted banter. His comments are quite offensive to European fans.”
McIlroy, for his part, stressed the need for the sport to reject and not normalize such hostility.
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“Frankly, I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy emphasized after the Europeans claimed their victory on Sunday, September 28. “Golf should maintain higher standards than what was displayed during this event.”
Sprague committed to a thorough evaluation between the PGA of America and the DP (European) World Tour prior to the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland to ensure such boorish behavior is prevented moving forward.
“We will guarantee that our focus remains on what the Ryder Cup signifies,” Sprague remarked. “It represents decorum, sportsmanship, and integrity. The game embodies the highest values in sports, and we need to uphold that as the guiding principle in every match.
