Fans watch on the first hole at Bethpage Black golf course during the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Farmingdale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Fans cheer on the first hole at Bethpage Black golf course during the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Farmingdale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Robert Bukaty)
Fans hold up photos as Europe’s Matthew Fitzpatrick lines up a putt on the seventh hole at Bethpage Black golf course during the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Farmingdale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Bethpage’s notorious crowd is sticking by the struggling Americans at the Ryder Cup - for now
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) 鈥 Keegan Bradley drew cheers and screams from U.S. fans on the 18th hole at Bethpage Black, even as the team he captains fell into the biggest Ryder Cup deficit after three sessions in nearly four decades.
Fans watch on the first hole at Bethpage Black golf course during the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Farmingdale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) 鈥 Keegan Bradley drew cheers and screams from U.S. fans on the 18th hole at Bethpage Black, even as the team he captains fell into the biggest Ryder Cup deficit after three sessions in nearly four decades.
Feisty New Yorkers are notorious for turning on a slumping home team, but American fans remained focused Saturday on giving it to the Europeans.
and a match-winning shot in morning foursomes, then blew the crowd a kiss while being jeered on the first tee for afternoon fourballs. No reason to be uptight with the Europeans holding a commanding 8 1/2-3 1/2 lead.
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鈥淲e鈥檇 love to be giving the fans a bit more of a reason to be going nuts,鈥 said Bryson DeChambeau, who along with Cameron Young had the only U.S. point in foursomes on Day 2. 鈥淏ut I think that鈥檚 still coming.鈥
What has so far been a theme of the Ryder Cup is yelling 鈥 a lot of it 鈥 at visiting Europe. Fans counted down Robert MacIntyre before he attempted a shot on No. 17, and one called him 鈥渁 big bag of milk.鈥
McIlroy has thrived under a barrage of profanities and barbs. He’s only taken exception when the banter continued after he was over his ball.
鈥淚n between shots, say whatever you want to me,” he said. “That鈥檚 totally fine. But just (give) us the respect to let us hit shots, and give us the same chance that the Americans have, I guess.鈥
Europe is hitting better shots than the U.S. The last time a team led the Ryder Cup by five points was 1987.
With his team rolling along, captain Luke Donald on Friday night applauded how players were dealing with the hostile atmosphere at a public course on Long Island where that was so expected Europe prepared for the noise with virtual reality headsets.
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鈥淧roud of the guys, how they handled the situation, a tough environment out there,鈥 Donald said. 鈥淥bviously talked about that. To be prepared for an away Ryder Cup, you have to deal with that. I thought they dealt with it amazing.鈥
Now it remains to be seen how struggling world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and his American teammates might deal with the crowd if it turns its anger against them.
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