'A lovely email': Rory McIlroy receives long-overdue Ryder Cup apology

American fans repeatedly heckled Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup in September, hurling personal taunts and shouting at crucial moments as he stood over shots. The Northern Irishman got his revenge by leading Team Europe to a 15–13 victory at Bethpage Black in New York — and, at long last, he received the apology he deserved.

Ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, McIlroy said he recently received a written apology from PGA of America chief executive David Sprague. 

"I got a lovely email from Derek Sprague apologizing," McIlroy told BBC Sport this week. "[My wife] Erica [Stoll] worked with Derek at the PGA of America back in the day, so we know Derek and his wife pretty well. He couldn't have been more gracious or apologetic, and he wrote us a lovely letter, which we really appreciated."

The PGA of America, which oversees the U.S. Ryder Cup team, owed McIlroy an apology for the way fans treated him. The heckling grew so out of control that additional security had to accompany McIlroy’s group, and several spectators were ejected from the event. At one point during the Saturday foursomes session, McIlroy stepped away from his approach shot and shouted a profanity at fans who were taunting him during his pre-shot routine.