Wives of Team Europe's stars warned of potential abuse at Bethpage Black by an ex-Ryder Cup hero

Team Europe is all set to face the American squad from September 26. Before Luke Donald's team starts competing in the biennial men's golf contest, a former Ryder Cup hero has warned their wives about the US crowd.

Andrew Coltart recently faced the media to convey a message to the European team's partners who might plan to visit Bethpage Black. According to the Scottish golf icon, the tough American crowd might end up abusing the partners of Donald's men as they face the Keegan Bradley-led squad. The former Ryder Cup hero admitted that even though his wife didn't face abuse, partners of other golfers did (quoted by The Sun):

"My wife wasn't getting abused because she was back home... some of the other wives and girlfriends had been getting abuse from the crowd. It was just normal derogatory things... You would expect from a group of blokes that probably had too much to drink."

Coltart, 55, advised that it would be better for wives and girlfriends of European golfers to avoid the Ryder Cup venue and watch all the action from indoors. The Sky Sports personality said:

"For Bethpage Black... might not be a great idea to go out there and they can watch it from a room where it's safe and secure... it potentially can be an atmosphere they will never ever be used to... could be quite upsetting and challenging for them.“

Coltart was a part of the European squad that competed in the 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was chosen by European Captain Mark James as a wildcard pick. The former Ryder Cup hero faced Tiger Woods in a Singles match on Sunday and the Cypress Native picked up a 3&2 win over Coltart.

Despite initial domination, the American squad picked up a 14½ - 13½ victory over Team Europe. The golfer from Dumville and his team faced a fierce US crowd in the famous Battle of Brooklyn. The crowd was so out of control that after a certain point in time, it could not even be managed by the field marshals.

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Rory McIlroy admits to the stress of facing a partisan US crowd in the upcoming Ryder Cup.

Weeks before Coltart issued a warning about the unruly US crowd, Rory McIlroy shared his thoughts on it. In a press conference held at the 2025 Amgen Irish Open venue, the PGA Tour veteran made a bold claim. In his statement, McIlroy said:

"Every Ryder Cup for the last 10 years has went to the home team... the home team do have a big advantage from the setup of the golf course... to how partisan the crowd is..."

McIlroy further admitted that Europeans will face a tough crowd while competing at Bethpage Black. The 2025 Masters champ said:

"The Europeans have to achieve something very, very special... it's also going to be very difficult. They have a very strong team. They're going to have a pretty raucous crowd on their side."

McIlroy's comments received mixed reactions from the fans on X, and some of them even questioned his confidence. However, his European teammate Justin Rose has expressed full confidence in the Northern Irishman's judgement. Rose further weighed in on McIlroy's statement about winning an away Ryder Cup and claimed that it might be a good time to 'buck that trend'.

Edited by Pravashis Biswas