Rory McIlroy confirmed he received a personal apology from Derek Sprague, the CEO of the PGA of America, after enduring harsh heckling during the Ryder Cup this past fall. “I got a lovely email from Derek Sprague apologizing,” McIlroy stated on November 5 while participating in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
McIlroy, 36, shared that he and his wife, Erica Stoll, have a longstanding relationship with Sprague. “Erica worked with Derek at the PGA of America back in the day, so we know Derek and his wife pretty well,” he added, highlighting their connection.
Reflecting on the incident at the Ryder Cup in September, McIlroy noted that he was targeted by fans, with one even throwing a beer can in Stoll’s direction. “I take it as a compliment that they targeted me,” he remarked. “But then at the same time, it was a tough week. That made us better as a team. It galvanized us and it really put our arms around each other.”
Sprague had previously disclosed that he formally reached out to both McIlroy and Stoll to express his regret over the situation. “I sent a long email to share with Rory and Erica and just told him that we will do better in the future,” Sprague explained in an interview. “I’m the CEO now. I don’t condone this type of behavior. This is not good for the game of golf. It’s not good for the Ryder Cup. It’s not good for any of the professional athletes, and we will do better.”
In addition to contacting McIlroy directly, Sprague also discussed the matter with McIlroy’s manager, Sean O’Flaherty. “I was just really, really, really disappointed,” Sprague expressed. “I’m disappointed in fan behavior, disappointed in the first tee and the emcee. That’s not who we are.”
Sprague elaborated on the challenges of defining acceptable fan behavior, stating, “It’s hard to define what crosses the line, right? You almost have to be there.” He mentioned that security personnel were actively addressing incidents as they arose during the event.
Looking ahead, Sprague committed to improving fan conduct at future tournaments. “We will make sure that we focus on what the Ryder Cup is all about,” he asserted. “It’s about decorum and sportsmanship and integrity. The game has the highest values in all of sports, and we need to have a guiding light to focus on from both sides of every match.”
McIlroy echoed concerns regarding fan behavior during his games, stating, “I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf. I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week.” He emphasized that respect is fundamental to the sport, adding, “Sometimes this week, we didn’t see that. This should not be what is acceptable at the Ryder Cup. What happened here this week is not acceptable.”
