Ethics CasesSport

Cases · Ryder Cup (PGA of America) · 2025

Bethpage Black: Hosting Duties and Crowd Abuse at the 2025 Ryder Cup

The 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York was marked by sustained abuse of the European team by sections of the home crowd. On Saturday morning the PGA of America's first-tee MC, a comedian, joined a vulgar chant aimed at Rory McIlroy that was carried over the speakers; she apologised and stepped down. Police walked with McIlroy's group, several spectators were ejected and a drink thrown from the crowd hit his wife Erica. Europe won 15-13. The PGA of America's CEO said behaviour had 'crossed the line' and apologised, while its president first defended the atmosphere and then apologised for his comments. The case asks what duty of care a host owes visiting athletes and their families, and how quickly organizers must act when a crowd turns.

By Tanner Simkins, editor

Timeline

  1. The Ryder Cup begins at Bethpage Black; European players face heckling from the home crowd.
  2. The first-tee MC joins a vulgar chant aimed at McIlroy; it carries over the speakers.
  3. A drink thrown from the crowd hits Erica McIlroy; police walk with McIlroy's group and spectators are ejected.
  4. The MC apologises and steps down; Europe win 15-13.
  5. PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague says behaviour 'crossed the line'; president Don Rea apologises for his earlier comments.
  6. McIlroy says he received a letter of apology from Sprague.

The ethical issues

  • A host's duty of care toward visiting athletes and their families.
  • Home advantage versus abuse.
  • Responsibility of an organizer's own staff for crowd behaviour.
  • Speed and sincerity of apologies.
  • Alcohol, ticket prices and crowd management.

Stakeholders

StakeholderInterests & obligations
European players and their familiesSafety and respect while competing.
US playersHome support and a victory that is not tarnished.
PGA of AmericaA successful, profitable event and its reputation.
SpectatorsA passionate atmosphere and a safe venue.
Ryder Cup Europe and the DP World TourProtection of their players and the event's future.
Police and stewardsClear authority to remove abusive spectators.

The case

Background

The Ryder Cup, a biennial match between teams from the United States and Europe, is golf’s most partisan event. Home crowds are expected to be loud, and players expect some needling. In September 2025 the event was held at Bethpage Black, a public course on Long Island, New York, run by the PGA of America.[1][4]

From the first day, sections of the crowd targeted European players, above all Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irishman who had won the Masters that April. McIlroy later called the week “very, very challenging” and asked spectators to “give us the respect to let us hit shots.”[1][2]

The rules and governance

The PGA of America, which hosts Ryder Cups in the United States, controls ticketing, stewarding, alcohol sales and the first-tee announcer. Abusive spectators could be ejected, and state and park police worked the course.[1][3] Etiquette warnings were shown to the crowd, and some spectators booed them.[1]

Decision point: the first tee

Early on Saturday, the PGA of America’s first-tee master of ceremonies, comedian Heather McMahan, joined fans in a chant of “F*** you, Rory.” It was carried over the speakers.[1][2][3] She apologised to McIlroy and to Ryder Cup Europe and stepped down before Sunday’s singles.[1][3] Reports noted that the PGA took around 20 hours to address the episode publicly.[2]

That Saturday, police officers walked inside the ropes with McIlroy’s group, and several spectators were ejected.[1] On the 17th tee a drink thrown from the crowd struck McIlroy’s wife, Erica.[4] The spectator who threw it has not been publicly identified, and this case does not identify any individual fan.

Decision point: what to say afterwards

Europe won 15-13, holding on after the United States, who had trailed 12-5 going into Sunday’s singles, rallied.[4][7] Afterwards, European captain Luke Donald said many Americans were “embarrassed” by what had happened.[4] McIlroy called some of the abuse “unacceptable.”[4] US captain Keegan Bradley declined to condemn the crowd, describing the fans as passionate.[7]

The PGA of America now had to decide how to respond. Its president, Don Rea Jr., initially told the BBC that he had heard worse at a youth soccer game and that golf was an “engine of good.” He had posted “New level. New devil.” on LinkedIn.[5] Within days, chief executive Derek Sprague said the behaviour had “crossed the line” and that there was “no place for that,” and said he would apologise personally to the McIlroys.[4] Rea then emailed PGA members saying “some fan behaviour clearly crossed the line” and “We condemn that behaviour unequivocally.” He apologised for his own comments and said the PGA would evaluate ways to identify and remove abusive fans more quickly.[5][6]

Aftermath

In November McIlroy said he had received a “lovely letter” of apology from Sprague.[7] bunkered recalled that 11 years earlier a previous PGA of America president, Ted Bishop, had been removed for comments about a player.[5] The episode left the PGA of America with questions for its next home Ryder Cup: how to manage crowds, and whether its own staff understood where the line lay.[5][6]

The core dilemma

Home advantage is part of the Ryder Cup’s appeal, and the host benefits from a loud crowd. When sections of the crowd, joined briefly by the host’s own announcer, abuse visiting players and their families, how far is the host responsible, and what should it have done, when, to meet its duty of care?

Competing values

  • Passion vs. respect: the partisan atmosphere that sells tickets against abuse of individuals [1][4].
  • Free expression vs. duty of care: spectators’ freedom to shout against players’ and families’ safety [4].
  • Speed vs. defensiveness: a quick, clear apology against protecting the host’s image [2][5].
  • Revenue vs. control: alcohol and attendance against crowd management [6].

Strongest arguments

For holding the host fully responsible: the PGA controlled the event, and its own announcer joined the chant [1]. Its president’s first instinct was to minimize the behaviour [5]. A drink thrown at a player’s spouse shows the duty of care was not met [4].

For a more limited view: tens of thousands of fans attended, and most behaved acceptably; the host cannot control every individual [1]. Police and stewards did eject spectators and protect players [1]. The PGA eventually apologised clearly [5][7].

On leadership: Donald and McIlroy spoke plainly [4]. Bradley’s refusal to condemn the crowd was criticized, but he was not the host’s official spokesperson [7].

Applying the frameworks

Virtue

Virtue ethics asks what sportsmanship and hospitality look like for a host. Fair-minded hosts cheer their team without degrading the visitors. The MC’s chant and the president’s first comments fell short of that standard; the later apologies were attempts to recover it [1][5].

Care

An ethics of care centres on relationships and vulnerability. Players’ spouses and families are not competitors, yet one was struck [4]. Care asks what the host owed them: protection, immediate support and a personal apology, which Sprague eventually gave [4][7].

Utilitarian

A consequentialist weighs the event’s commercial success and atmosphere against harm to players, damage to the Ryder Cup’s reputation, and the risk of escalation at future events [4]. Earlier enforcement on Saturday might have reduced the total harm.

Walk it through: the Simple Decision Model

  1. Spot the issue. You run the PGA of America’s event operations on Saturday morning. The stakeholders include European players and families, US players, spectators, police, broadcasters and Ryder Cup Europe. The codes are the event’s spectator rules and the host’s commitments to Ryder Cup Europe.
  2. Gather facts. You know the MC led a chant and that abuse is widespread; you do not know how far it will escalate. Watch for normalization bias: “it’s always loud at the Ryder Cup.”
  3. Test options. Option A: issue reminders and carry on. Option B: remove the MC immediately, step up ejections and limit alcohol sales. Option C: do B and apologise publicly that day.
  4. Check codes and law. Abusive spectators can be ejected, and police can act on assault, such as a thrown drink [1][4].
  5. Decide and document. Record why you acted when you did, and what you will tell Ryder Cup Europe.
  6. Communicate and follow up. Apologise without qualification, review alcohol and stewarding, and publish what will change for the next home Ryder Cup.

What’s settled and what’s contested

Settled: the MC joined a vulgar chant over the speakers and stepped down; spectators were ejected; a drink hit Erica McIlroy; Europe won 15-13; Sprague and Rea apologised [1][4][5].

Contested: how much of the crowd’s behaviour the host could have prevented, whether the response was fast enough, and where the line between fierce support and abuse lies.

Why this case matters

Crowds can turn home advantage into abuse, and organizers can make it worse or better. Compare Courtside Heckling and Fan Behavior and Online Racist Abuse After the Euro 2020 Final.

Key terms

Sportsmanship
Visible respect for opponents, officials, teammates and the game itself.
Duty of care
The responsibility of coaches, organizations and institutions to protect the health, safety and well-being of those in their charge. It is not a license for total control.
Crisis ethics
The obligations that apply when an organization is under pressure: honesty, timeliness, accountability and care for those harmed.
Institutional accountability
Structures that make a sport organization explain its decisions and face consequences: clear authority, transparency, appeals, independent oversight and enforcement.
Controls
Concrete safeguards that make ethics operational: training, disclosure forms, testing, monitoring, hotlines. Ethics needs principles, process and controls.
Core values
The principles a sport organization says it stands for, most often safety, fairness, respect, integrity and transparency.

Definitions from the Ethics Cases glossary.

Discussion questions

  1. Where is the line between partisan support and abuse?
  2. How much responsibility does an organizer bear for what a crowd does?
  3. Was the PGA of America's response fast enough? What should it have done on Saturday?
  4. Did captain Keegan Bradley have a duty to speak about the crowd?
  5. What changes to ticketing, alcohol or stewarding would you make for the next Ryder Cup?

Sources

  1. Ryder Cup MC steps down after vulgar McIlroy chant — Reuters
  2. Ryder Cup MC apologises and steps down over foul-mouthed McIlroy chant — The Guardian
  3. Ryder Cup emcee steps down after derogatory chants at Rory McIlroy — Golfweek
  4. Ryder Cup: Rory McIlroy abuse "crossed the line" - PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague — BBC Sport
  5. PGA of America president finally apologises for Ryder Cup remarks — bunkered
  6. PGA of America president belatedly admits US Ryder Cup fans 'crossed line' with abuse — The Guardian
  7. Rory McIlroy received letter of apology from PGA chief after Ryder Cup abuse — Sky Sports