Gary Williams claims Rory McIlroy copped it even worse than Colin Montgomerie did at Brookline

Those watching from home might not have realised just how intense it became. Speaking on 5 Clubs, Gary Williams suggested that what McIlroy dealt with made Montgomerie’s experience in ’99 look tame by comparison.

“Again, I thought this was very predictable considering the things that I heard all four days at the PGA in ’19. I said the PGA of America’s got a problem on their hands in five years. And I think things are worse in ways now, specifically in sports,” he said.

Rory McIlroy’s behaviour shouldn’t be judged too harshly

It’s unfortunate that the conduct of some fans at Bethpage is likely to overshadow much of what happened at this year’s event.

This Ryder Cup will be remembered for Europe’s remarkable start and for just how close America came to pulling off one of sport’s great comebacks.

But more than anything, it’ll be Rory McIlroy who stands out, mostly because of how visibly affected he was by what he faced from the crowd.

Even so, there have been voices criticising McIlroy in the aftermath. Paul Azinger, for one, pointed out that it’s difficult for him to call out the fans when he was caught swearing back at them.

The fact that someone as passionate about winning another away Ryder Cup as McIlroy reached that breaking point speaks volumes about just how relentless it must have been.

And if Williams is right in saying it was even worse than what Montgomerie endured in ’99, then that should really set off alarm bells for the PGA of America. It points to a wider issue they can’t ignore any longer.