Ryder Cup triumph being remembered for the wrong reasons, says Rory McIlroy | Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is eager to shift the discussion of last month’s Ryder Cup from the dominant theme of unruly spectators to the “incredible” strength of European performance.

Luke Donald and his European team made it back-to-back Ryder Cup victories after achieving what ultimately proved an unassailable position on two of the three days of the event.

The benchmark for Bethpage Black, however, was the appalling fan behavior; including significantly towards McIlroy. The Masters champion’s wife was hit by a beer thrown from the galleries at one point, with McIlroy himself facing abuse throughout.

McIlroy’s return to the competitive fold, this week at the Indian Championship, has him trying to change the topic of conversation. “I followed the story of the Ryder Cup like everyone else,” said the Northern Irishman. “Unfortunately, I think it takes away from what we focused on, which was the incredible performance of the European team.

“While I’m playing my matches, I’m focusing on trying to earn my point. You see other guys winning their matches or doing well, but you don’t realize how well they’re playing.

“So over the last couple of weeks, I was able to watch the highlights and see, especially those first two days, in the foursomes and the fourballs, how good the European team was. The Americans were hitting close, we were hitting closer. The Americans were putting a putt and we were putting a putt at the top. It happened every time.

“The unfortunate thing is people don’t remember that and remember that week for the wrong reasons. I’d like to change the narrative and focus on how good the European team was and how proud I was to be part of that team to win the Ryder Cup away.”

Immediately after the European victory, McIlroy insisted that golf should pride itself on demanding high standards from competitors and spectators. Some believe this poses a dilemma for the sport as it seeks to engage young people.

“You don’t want your sport to be unwelcoming to newcomers,” McIlroy added. “I completely understand that. But you also don’t want new people coming into the game and ruining centuries of tradition and values ​​of what this game represents or what it stands for. I think there has to be a balance.

“I certainly think golf can grow, but it can grow in a way where people who come to this game respect and recognize that maybe it’s a little different from other sports. I say it all the time in America, golf doesn’t have to be the NFL. It doesn’t have to be these other sports. Golf is golf, and that’s fine.

“I would love for more people to watch golf. That would be amazing. But I would be more interested in more people playing this game, and I think when people play this game, they learn and can recognize what golf is, what it represents, and the type of etiquette and values ​​that you have to adhere to when you play this game.”

McIlroy has European teammates Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland for company on his first visit to India. Donald is also in the field, with the Englishman yet to decide whether he wants to captain Europe for what would be a third time, at Adare Manor in 2027.

“I think what Luke Donald has done in the last two Ryder Cups has revolutionized captaincy in Europe,” McIlroy said. “The effort and dedication Luke Donald has put in over the last four years has been absolutely incredible.”