Edoardo Molinari addresses if Europe considered quitting Ryder Cup over crowd abuse

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be remembered not just for the golf, but for a crowd that repeatedly crossed the line. The Bethpage Black fans gave Europe a tough reception, something we’ve seen before but perhaps never to this extent.

Luke Donald’s side would have expected a difficult environment. New York is fiercely passionate about its sports, and the Ryder Cup brings out that tribal edge more than any other event in golf.

But there were several moments when things clearly went beyond what is acceptable. Even Tom Watson felt compelled to apologise on behalf of the American crowd.

Some reports suggested Europe had plans to respond in their own way if heckling became an issue during play.

Edoardo Molinari explains whether Europe had plans to stop play during the Ryder Cup

There were reports from The Telegraph suggesting that Europe were prepared to walk off the course if the abuse continued during shots.

But when speaking with Fried Egg Golf, Edoardo Molinari said there was never any discussion about stopping play, though he did talk about how much pressure the players were under.

“No, it was never discussed. It was never talked about it. That’s not true at all. The only thing we said is that we were trying, me as a vice-captain walking with the players, all the matches, we were just trying our best not to irritate the crowds even more and just trying to be humble, trying not to react to them, which I thought we did a great job for a day and a half.

“When you are exposed to that for 12 hours a day, eventually it gets to you. And obviously some players reacted, but I think that’s normal. It would have been impossible not to react for three straight days to what was going on.”

How Edoardo Molinari viewed Rory McIlroy’s Saturday afternoon match at Bethpage