Rory doesn’t want any form of spectactor retaliation from the Paris crowds in 2018

CHASKA, Minnesota: Europe do not want the 2018 Ryder Cup crowd in Paris to take revenge for the minority of Hazeltine National fans who misbehaved during the Americans’ 17-11 victory this week, said Rory McIlroy on Sunday.

The US galleries meted out plenty of heckling but the World No 3 and other members of the European camp were at pains to point out that the overwhelming majority of the spectators treated them well at the biennial team event.

“We wouldn’t encourage any sort of retaliation,” McIlroy told reporters after losing a titanic singles battle against US talisman Patrick Reed by one hole. “That’s just not who we are, that’s not what we do.

“We want to play this tournament in the manner in which it should be played. Between us, the 12 players, the vice-captains and the captain, and between the 12 players on the US team, it was played in the manner it should be played.

“We have no problems with anyone on either team and, really, it’s just a very small minority – 95 percent of the people out there, the American galleries, are absolutely fantastic. A couple of people crossed the line but we’ll take it on the chin. We’ll move on and we’ll definitely not encourage anything like that to happen in France next time around.”

McIlroy assumed the role normally taken on by Ian Poulter, who was injured this week, indulging in eye-popping, high-fiving, fist-pumping celebrations when things went well.

McIlroy was also at his hollering and shouting best against Reed but he acknowledged that perhaps he over-did the excessive reactions.

“I think all the energy I expended, it sort of caught up with me on the back nine today,” he said. “I wanted to take the bull by the horns ... go out there and lead by example ... I just ran out of steam on the back nine.

“But this will galvanise us, it will make us stronger to come back in Paris.” – Reuters

“At the end of the day, the American guys played better than we did,” said European captain Darren Clarke. “They holed the putts when they had to, and we lipped out. But that’s happened the other way around for quite some time.” – Reuters