Matt Fitzpatrick has accused PGA president Don Rea of being ‘bitter’ after Team Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph over the weekend.
Just days after Rea shockingly claimed Rory McIlroy ‘understands’ the vile abuse that was directed at him and his family, Fitzpatrick took aim at the Ryder Cup chief.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, he said: ‘I don’t want to speak for everyone, but we felt a bit of bitterness during the trophy presentation and handshake.
‘Me and Rosie [Justin Rose] looked at each other thinking the congratulations didn’t feel very heartfelt. He said we only retained it, but actually – we won it.’
Fitzpatrick and McIlroy were among the European stars who were targeted by the rowdy American fans in Long Island, New York throughout the weekend.
During the Saturday foursomes and fourballs, world No 2 McIlroy was taunted about his private life and called a ‘f*****’. His wife Erica Stoll, meanwhile, was hit by a drink as the atmosphere turned nasty at Bethpage Black.
Matt Fitzpatrick has called out ‘bitter’ PGA president Don Rea after Europe’s Ryder Cup win
Fitzpatrick said he ‘felt a bit of bitterness during the trophy presentation and handshake’
But Rea later suggested that Europe’s players were treated no worse than their American counterparts when they travelled to Marco Simone in 2023.
In a remarkable interview with the BBC, he said: ‘Well you have 50,000 people there that are really excited and – heck – you can go to a youth soccer game and get some people who say the wrong things.’
When pressed on the particularly personal attacks on McIlroy, he added: ‘I haven’t heard some of that – I’m sure it’s happened.
‘It happened when we were in Rome on the other side and Rory understands… things like that are going to happen and I don’t know what was said. But all I know is golf the engine of good.’
Fitzpatrick, again, fired back. He said: ‘What the PGA of America guy said about it being the same in Rome – he clearly wasn’t there.
‘Either he wasn’t there or he was listening to something else, because it was never like that. It’s always been playful, just banter.
Doubling down on his remarks, he reiterated: ‘The interview with the PGA guy saying it was the same in Rome. That’s pretty offensive to European fans’.
Though the abuse that McIlroy and his family faced through the tournament was by far the worst, Fitzpatrick also found himself in the firing line at times.
McIlroy, in particular, came under abuse from the raucous American fans at Bethpage Black
McIlroy’s wife Erica Stoll was hit by a drink during a volatile final day of the Ryder Cup
During Wednesday’s practice round, Europe star Fitzpatrick was seen struggling to chip onto the green from the rough – much to the delight of the American fans.
In a video that has since gone viral on social media – which was captioned ‘D1 Trollers’ – they could be heard saying: ‘Fitzy, what’s going here brother’.
Another shouted out: ‘The green’s that way brother!’
After his failed attempts, Fitzpatrick turned around and flashed a smile at the fans, who were stood just a few feet away.
While this was one of the more light-hearted fan-player interactions, there were a number of incidents which marred the proceedings at Bethpage Black.
Although all Team Europe golfers were targeted by fans, McIlroy in particular was subjected to continual taunts and attempts to disrupt his game.
His wife Erica became an extension of the abuse, with Shane Lowry admitting after Team Europe’s victory that the level of abuse she received was ‘astonishing’.
Erica was reportedly reduced to tears on Sunday evening after a day of vitriolic abuse from American fans, which included having a drink dunked on her.
McIlroy refused to play a Ryder Cup shot as the abuse from the crowd became too heavy
In the end, it was McIlroy who had the last laugh after winning the Ryder Cup with Europe
Her husband was subjected to relentless verbal abuse, including chants of ‘f*** you Rory’ and insults about their marriage.
Following the ugly scenes, PGA of America chief Derek Sprague has revealed he has apologized to McIlroy and his family on behalf of the governing body.
‘I sent a long email to share with Rory and Erica and just told him that we will do better in the future,’ Sprague, who has just wrapped up his first Ryder Cup as CEO, told The Athletic on Wednesday.
‘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.’
