Former Team USA Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger has accused Rory McIlroy of hypocrisy over his comments about the home fans at Bethpage Black.
McIlroy was public enemy number one to the New York fans, with the abuse he and Shane Lowry suffered on Saturday afternoon among the worst ever witnessed in the Ryder Cup.
The Northern Irishman's wife Erica even suffered some abuse, and also had a drink spilled over her, with McIlroy saying after winning the Ryder Cup that the actions of the crowd were unacceptable.
"Look, I don't think we should ever accept that in golf," McIlroy said. "I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week."
It's those comments that Azinger took exception to though, accusing McIlroy of hypocrisy given how he responded with expletives of his own directed at the crowd.
Both McIlroy and Lowry reacted angrily on a number of occasions, and Azinger believes that the Grand Slam winner can't shout such things at the crowd while also criticizing their behavior as bad for golf.
“In the press conference after it’s over, he’s saying, ‘I think golf should be held to a higher standard of decorum’,” Azinger told Golf’s Subpar podcast.
“But in the meantime, he says, ‘F*** you, F*** you, F*** you’ in full voice for the world to see. He turns around and says to the guy, ‘Shut the f*** up’.
“The guy in the media asked him today, ‘How did that feel, Rory, to tell the guy to shut the f*** up and then hit it two feet?’ And he said, ‘It felt pretty f*****g good’, and I’m like, which is it, Rory? Is it that golf is held to a higher standard? Or are you just going to say ‘F*** you’ to the fans and act like that’s OK?
“I love Rory, you know that, but you can’t say that. You can’t say the fans need to behave better and then in the meantime, lay them to waste.
"You've got to be one or the other, you can't do both."
PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague apologized to McIlroy and team Europe for the crowd's behavior at Bethpage, and considering the personal nature of the insults and those aimed at his family, many understand why McIlroy reacted on occasions.
Matt Fitzpatrick backed his teammate, considering the level and consistency of the abuse McIlroy faced over all five sessions.
"I know obviously things have been said about what players have replied to to the crowd," said Fitzpatrick. "Which in my opinion is warranted given what they gave in the first place."
Along with draping the European flag over Bryson DeChambeau's name during their celebrations, there will be those, though, that feel McIlroy also acted in a way that didn't reflect golf's traditional values.
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