Increased Security Presence at Ryder Cup

New York State Police have stepped up security around the Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry group at the Ryder Cup, following some unruly behavior from fans.

The situation escalated on the sixth hole when comments from the crowd seemed to unsettle McIlroy. He appeared visibly frustrated, struggling to focus as the noise continued.

With this in mind, there are noticeably more security personnel present, with uniformed officers stationed nearby.

It seems the NBC broadcast remarked that since the increase in security, the crowd’s noise level has, perhaps, quieted down.

In a related incident, after Lowry’s tee shot on hole 11, he pointed out a fan’s disruptive behavior, prompting officers to intervene.

Fans have even reported McIlroy talking to his ball during his swings, which is—well, a bit unusual, right?

According to reporter Kevin Van Valkenburg, there appeared to be at least 30 officers monitoring the Lowry-McIlroy pairing.

An “Audience Etiquette” message was displayed on the video board, warning attendees to drink responsibly, stating that overly intoxicated individuals would be removed.

Joel Beall from Golf Digest noted that some spectators hurled personal insults at McIlroy, which, frankly, is a bit much. Lowry faced his share of jabs, too, with comments about his weight.

During the afternoon session, Justin Thomas and Cam Young, who were competing against McIlroy and Lowry, even tried to calm the crowd while McIlroy was preparing to hit. It’s clear that McIlroy has become a target for the American crowd at Beth Page.

He didn’t hold back his feelings, apparently giving some fans the middle finger and telling them to be quiet, which certainly reflects the tension in the atmosphere.

As the scoreboard shows, Europe leads the U.S. 8 1/2 – 3 1/2 heading into the afternoon, with McIlroy playing a significant part in the European team’s performance.