Rory McIlroy Makes Feelings Clear on Treatment of Golf Rival by Hometown Crowd at Irish Open

On Saturday at the K Club, Rory McIlroy stood on the 15th fairway surrounded by the kind of noise that only follows him. Thousands lined the ropes, chanting his name, and to many it felt “like a major championship out there.” However, amid the general admiration of the crowd, there was also praise for how his fans treated his rival, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia.

“It was great. I’ve said now for the third day in a row, it’s just an unbelievable atmosphere to play in. It’s such a pleasure. They’re so respectful. They supported Alfredo out there a lot as well. We had a great round of golf,” McIlroy said in the press conference after his round at the Amgen Irish Open. His remark about Alfredo getting support is more than a throwaway. McIlroy knows better than anyone how overwhelming European crowds can be, especially when they rally behind their own, often forgetting how to respect the opponents.

That respect is particularly relevant this week because Garcia Heredia is at the moment leading the scoreboard. After three rounds, the Spaniard sits in third place at 12 under par. McIlroy, who is the favorite to win, considering it is his home crowd, is just one shot behind him at 11 under. He is tied for fourth. With such a neck-to-neck fight, it is obvious that it involves a risk of turning the atmosphere tense. “I know it’s a sell-out for the weekend. So I’m expecting more of the same tomorrow, which will be good,” he said at the same press conference.

Rory McIlroy is anyway quite used to this. Wherever he goes in Europe, especially in Ireland and the UK, the galleries swell. At this year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush, the crowd was massive. The throngs of fans kept following him with their loud and enthusiastic support. “It was an incredible atmosphere out there,” the four-time major winner said back then. It is quite common to see fans bringing handmade posters for the adoration of their love.

This energy isn’t just confined to stroke play events. McIlroy’s connection with fans gets more intense at the Ryder Cups. One such incident happened during the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, which became known as “Hat Gate.” European fans had spent the afternoon taunting Patrick Cantlay, who was without his caps, by waving their caps at him. What prompted them was the claim that he was protesting over not getting paid for the Ryder Cup. Later on, at the 18th green, when Cantlay, playing against McIlroy, drained a long birdie putt and beat him, his caddie Joe LaCava waved his cap back at the crowd. But he did so, standing too close to McIlory and refusing to move when the Northern-Irishman asked him to. This led to a major clash later on.

These are the incidents that prompt McIlory to use the crowd’s support as fuel for his performance. But such support can at times be suffocating for his opponents. At the Genesis Scottish Open this year, Chris Gotterup openly admitted he felt like the villain on the course. “There were a lot of cries of ‘Rory’ and not many of ‘Chris.’” It was an honest acknowledgment from the American, which many players feel but rarely say. Sharing a tee with McIlroy in Europe means you are stepping into a zone with lopsided support. And at times, the crowd’s passion turns too one-sided, and the line between support and hostility blurs. To which even Rory McIlroy has not been immune.

Rory McIlroy and the persistent problem of hecklers

There have been times when Rory McIlroy himself has been on the receiving end of a hostile and over-the-top passionate crowd. Back at the 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational, he publicly criticized a fan’s behaviour at Bay Hill. He revealed how spectators “start to shout about the players’ private lives.” This was one of the first times he openly addressed how far some spectators were willing to go.

Very recently, at the 2025 Genesis Invitational, a fan yelled at McIlroy when he missed a putt. It was later revealed that he suggested McIlroy fire his long-time caddie, Harry Diamond. Rory lost his cool and called out the spectator, saying, “shut the f— up.” Then at the Players Championship, a heckler referenced McIlroy his infamous 2011 Masters collapse. To this, McIlroy directly confronted the fan, grabbed a phone from one of his friends, and walked away with it before security stepped in to eject the heckler.

Hence, it is quite obvious, no matter who the player is, the love and adoration of fans at times gets to much to bear.