It's a shame about PGA's Rae
President's comments as embarrassing as the fans; Stray Shots: Ryder Cup obit
PGA of America president had almost as bad a Ryder Cup at Team USA (Scott Taetsch/PGA of America)
Don Rae has a warped sense of what passes for acceptable behavior. The PGA of America president might have been excused if he were not at the Ryder Cup last week or if he only arrived on Sunday.
But Rae was at Bethpage Black all week and the organization’s volunteer head could not have been more tone defeat to the situation that unfolded.
And then he doubled down on it.
As information continues to come out — including damning video — of vile spectator behavior directed at European players, especially Saturday, Rae’s words look even worse. At least the PGA of America CEO, Derek Sprague, has come out and apologized for the inexplicable actions of so many in the crowd. You’d hope he gives Rae a tongue-lashing as well.
On Sunday — a day after the verbal abuse was as big a part of the story as Europe’s 15-13 victory despite a furious American singles fightback — Rae conducted a TV interview with BBC Sport in which he downplayed the incidents and suggested it was no worse than what U.S. players faced two years ago at the Ryder Cup in Rome.
Then he reasserted that notion this week a LinkedIn post that defies belief. (Finally on Thursday night, Rae issued an apology via an email to the PGA of America membership.)
“Well, you’ve 50,000 people here that are really excited and, heck, you could go to a youth soccer game and get some people who say the wrong things,” Rae said to the interviewer.
Among the “wrong things” was a Saturday first-tee chant organized by Heather McMahan, who tried to get the spectators in the grandstand behind the first tee and 18th green to join in a chorus of “F--- uou, Rory!” as the Masters winner Rory McIlroy was about to tee off.
McMahan stepped down from her role on Sunday in the aftermath of the incident and later apologized. She was just one small part of the overall problem.
Bethpage was awarded the 2024 Ryder Cup (delayed a year due to COVID-19 in 2020) and there were long fears that a New York-based crowd might be a problem at a Ryder Cup, especially after incidents at the three major championships played there.
McIlroy faced considerable abuse throughout the Saturday four-ball session along with partner Shane Lowry. Homophobic slurs. Vulgar language. Constant chatter and yelling while players were about to swing, causing them to back off.
Security was increased and there was a time when Lowry had to be restrained from going into the crowd. McIlroy’s wife, Erica, was also the subject of taunts and abuse and had a beer thrown on her.
“I was out there for two days with Erica McIlroy. The amount of abuse that she received was astonishing,” said Lowry, whose Sunday birdie on the 18th hole clinched the half point that assured a tie and retaining the Cup, which was eventually decided with a 15-13 victory over the United States.
Rae, however, attempted to deflect the spectator activity. Asked specifically about McIlroy, Rae said: “I haven’t heard some of that — I’m sure it’s happened.”
He added: “It happened when we were in Rome on the other side.”
Absurd.
New York fans were as loud and obnoxious as advertised (Michael Reaves/PGA of America)
At the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone, Patrick Cantlay was the subject of excessive taunting in response to a report that he went without a hat due his desire to be paid. (Cantlay has denied this often.) It made for a tense afternoon that boiled over with a dispute between Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, and McIlroy.
But there were no reports of tossed beers at player wives, vulgar obscenities and the like. European fans have been known to get rowdy as well as Ryder Cups. But to the level experienced over the weekend at Bethpage? Nope.
Tyrrell Hatton got his share of abuse and he didn’t exactly concur with Rae’s comparison of Rome and N.Y.
“Personally, I don’t think they were close at all. With what I heard last week, I don’t think Rome comes anywhere near that,” Hatton said. “To be honest, personally, I don’t agree with what they said there. I don’t know what else to add to that. I think they (Rome and Bethpage) are quite far apart to be honest.”
Said Rae in the BBC Sport interview: “Things like that are going to happen and I don’t know what was said. But all I know is golf the engine of good.”
In the LinkedIn post, Rae wrote: “Thank you for all that reached out to me as a friend and golf industry leader. I’m personally taking some criticism right now and that comes with the role and just like when I was an umpire I expect it. However to the students and PGA members that followed me, know this, I am not bothered. I know who I ultimately serve. … This truth is still the truth. New level. New devil.”
Frankly, that is pathetic.
There are many who have come out criticizing the PGA of America, including two-time Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson, who congratulated the European team in a social media post but added: “More importantly, I’d like to apologize for the rude and mean-spirited behavior from our American crowd at Bethpage. As a former player, captain and as an American, I am ashamed of what happened.”
Rae was also criticized for the way he conducted the post-event ceremony in which he referred to the Europeans as “retaining” the Cup as opposed to winning it and failed to give the trophy to European captain Luke Donald.
“I don’t want to speak for everyone, but we felt a bit of bitterness during the trophy presentation and handshake,” said European player Matt Fitzpatrick at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
“Me and Rosie (Justin Rose) looked at each other thinking the congratulations didn’t feel very heartfelt. He said we only retained it, but actually — we won it.
“What the PGA of America guy said about it being the same in Rome — he clearly wasn’t there. Either he wasn’t there or he was listening to something else, because it was never like that. It’s always been playful, just banter.
“The interview with the PGA guy saying it was the same in Rome. That’s pretty offensive to European fans.”
Sprague, the PGA of America CEO, said in an interview with Golf Channel, that he planned on sending a personal apology to McIlroy and his wife.
“There’s no place for that in the Ryder Cup or the game of golf,” Sprague said. “I heard Rory say it, we’re better than that in golf. That’s one thing our game has always portrayed when you compare us to other sports is that golf is a great game and people enjoy the game because of the values that golf has.
“I can’t wait to reach out to Rory and Erica, and really the entire European team. Rory might have been a target because of how good he is, but the entire European team should not have been subjected to that. I feel badly and I plan on apologizing to them.”
It appears someone got to Rae. He sent an email to PGA of America members on Thurday night apologizing and admitting that “some of my comments were seen in a negative light, which reflects not only poorly on myself but on the PGA of America and for that I truly apologize.” Earlier in the email, he finally noted that fan behavior crossed the line and was in appropriate.