PGA of America CEO Issues Apology to Rory McIlroy and His Wife Erica
The CEO of PGA of America, Derek Sprague, extended a sincere apology to professional golfer Rory McIlroy and his spouse, Erica Stoll, following their experience of intense verbal abuse during the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
Sprague, who assumed the role of CEO in January, reported reaching out to McIlroy, 36, and Stoll, 38, directly after they faced a wave of verbal assaults over the weekend.
“I sent a lengthy email to share my thoughts with Rory and Erica, assuring them that we will improve in the future,” Sprague informed The Athletic on Thursday, October 2. “As the CEO, I cannot support such behavior. It is detrimental to the sport of golf, the Ryder Cup, and all professional athletes, and we will do better.”
Sprague also mentioned having an extensive call with McIlroy’s manager, Sean O’Flaherty, to convey his disappointment and discuss how PGA of America plans to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
“I was genuinely disappointed,” Sprague remarked. “I am disappointed by fan behavior, as well as by the actions of the emcee at the first tee. This is not representative of us.”
The situation escalated on Saturday morning, September 27, when Ryder Cup emcee Heather McMahan took the microphone at the first tee and prompted the crowd to chant, “F*** you, Rory.”
Sprague and other executives were present at the event, and by that evening, McMahan had issued an apology and resigned from her position.
Throughout his matches, McIlroy faced a barrage of insults, and on September 27, Stoll was hit by a thrown drink while navigating the crowd. Sprague, who has known Stoll since her tenure with PGA of America, admitted that the organization failed to ensure the safety of players and their families.
“It’s challenging to determine where the line is drawn,” Sprague said. “You almost need to witness it firsthand. While we received reports of these incidents, we tried to manage them as they arose. We ejected several individuals and relocated others to minimize disruptions to the matches.”
Sprague expressed a contrasting viewpoint to PGA of America president Don Rea, who stated to BBC Sport on Monday, September 29, that “such things are bound to happen. It occurred when we were in Rome as well.”
Rea’s attempt to trivialize the matter did not resonate well with Team Europe, who narrowly defeated Team USA 15-13 after a valiant effort by the Americans on the final day.
“What the PGA of America representative said about it being similar to Rome — he clearly wasn’t there,” Team Europe’s Matt Fitzpatrick commented to BBC reporters on Wednesday, October 2, in anticipation of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. “Either he wasn’t present or wasn’t paying attention, because it’s never been like that. There’s always been playful banter. His comments are quite offensive to European fans.”
McIlroy, for his part, stressed that such hostility should not be normalized in the sport.
“I don’t believe we should ever allow this in golf,” he commented following the Europeans’ win on Sunday, September 28. “Golf deserves to be held to a higher standard than what was witnessed this week.”
Sprague pledged that a comprehensive review between PGA of America and the DP (European) World Tour would be conducted ahead of the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland to ensure such unruly behavior does not recur.
“We will ensure that the essence of the Ryder Cup is upheld,” Sprague stated. “It’s about decorum, sportsmanship, and integrity. The game embodies the highest values in sports, and we must maintain a guiding principle from both sides of every match.”
