Things took a wild turn at Bethpage this year. The crowds lashed into a hostile, abusive environment. The European players witnessed rude and offensive remarks, often crossing the line into slurs. However, what caught attention was the President of the PGA of America, Don Rea‘s, reaction to the abuse. Instead of addressing the concerning fan behaviour, Rea rather made insensible comments on the situation. But nothing took fans by as much of a surprise as Rea’s karaoke night hours after the abuse of Rory McIlroy & Co.

On Saturday, Rea sang Lose Yourself by Eminem for the Karaoke night at the hotel with the players and their families instead of apologizing to the Europeans. On Saturday, after Team USA’s disappointing trail the previous day, the American fans were frustrated. That disappointment showed through when the crowds showered the European roster with rude personal comments, especially Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.

Rory faced presumptuous comments about his personal life. The crowd bellowed chants of ‘Amanda, Amanda’, referencing his relationship rumors with Amanda Balionis that surfaced after his brief divorce filing from Erica Stoll. Lowry was taunted about his weight, moving the golfer to the verge of tears.

The abuse didn’t stay limited to verbal assaults, but also escalated to physical harassment when one fan threw beer at McIlroy’s wife, Erica. Despite the heightened security, they couldn’t bring the abuse under control. The next day, the pattern continued.

Actress and Ryder Cup’s 1st-tee MC, Heather McMahan’s, participation in the vile chants added fuel to he flame. McMahan led expletive cries of ‘F*** you, Rory’, provoking the crowds to join in. Rea’s own insensible comments on the situation made the situation worse.

“I’m sure it happened. It happens when we’re over in Rome on the other side, and Rory understands. Things like that are going to happen,” he said, likening the crowd to that of Rome last edition. This behaviour drew public criticism from the internet and golfers like Matt Fitzpatrick.

“I saw the interview with the PGA guy discussing how it was the same in Rome. It is pretty offensive to European fans the fact that he said that, really” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t want to speak on behalf of everyone but we did feel there was a little bit of bitterness when they presented the trophy there and shook hands. Me and Rosey (Justin Rose) both looked at each other as if to say, ‘that wasn’t a very heartfelt congratulations’ – and he said we only retained it but actually we won it.”

Rea eventually issued an apology on October 9, emailing 30,000+ golf professionals, admitting the ruthless behavior of the US crowds. He admitted that some fan behavior “clearly crossed the line” declaring them as “disrespectful, inappropriate, and not representative of who we are.” CEO of the PGA of America, Derek Sprague, reached out to issue a public apology to Rory and Erica McIlroy and the team.

The fans have now reacted to Rea’s tone-deaf karaoke night. And, well, the comments were shocking at best.

Don Rea takes the golfing world by surprise with his tone-deaf karaoke

Don Rea’s actions were extremely out of touch with the seriousness of the abuse. And the fans didn’t hesitate to jump on the wagon themselves with hilarious, sometimes borderline rude, remarks. Acknowledging the absurdity of the karaoke, one fan playfully commented, “Clearly this is the reason why the US almost came back on Sunday.” This remark highlights the odd placement of the karaoke session, joking that the US Team found their form on Sunday, courtesy of the performance.

Another fan took a humorous dig at the positivity of karaoke, chiming, “Look, all I know is that karaoke is an engine for good ok?”

Another fan referenced the abuse Rory McIlroy and his wife faced, joking about the tension between them. They commented, “That’s awesome! I bet Rory and his wife flew back in separate jets,” highlighting the distancing of the couple from Rea after that response. It was also a subtle remark on the brief divorce and ‘Amanda’ chants.

While some comments took playful digs at the oddity of the situation, one fan commented, “Don Rea – The Ryder Cup gift that just keeps on giving…” This remark mockingly presents Rea as an endless source of entertainment and jokes in the industry. Another fan didn’t lose the opportunity for an Eminem reference, as he shared a picture captioned, “Will the Rea Don shady please stand up?” The fan referred to Eminem’s ‘Without Me,’ drawing comparisons with Rea’s ‘Lose Yourself’ performance.

However, some fans couldn’t find the situation further from hilarious. Directly criticizing Rea’s public image and its negative impact on PGA’s sponsors, one fan remarked, “The partners and sponsors really need to think about the association of this idiot.”

The Ryder Cup this year was nothing short of pure drama. From the sweeping shots to the verbal abuse and Rea’s tone-deaf response, fans didn’t go out of material for a moment. Despite the seriousness of the situation and the PGA of America’s reputation after this, these comments dilute the tension, showcasing the human side of golf and the hilarious reception of the actions.