Shane Lowry insists he is not overly concerned about the treatment he and his European teammates may receive from American fans at this year’s Ryder Cup, despite predictions of a hostile atmosphere at Bethpage Black.
The 2019 Open champion was confirmed as Luke Donald’s first wildcard pick, joining Sepp Straka, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Fitzpatrick to complete Europe’s 12-man squad. Donald also revealed his fifth vice-captain, promising that his side will be “ready to go” when they face Keegan Bradley’s U.S. team in New York from 26–28 September.
The build-up has already been dominated by talk of the crowd. Lowry’s debut at Whistling Straits in 2021 saw his family subjected to abuse, something he later admitted he only fully realised after speaking with his wife, Wendy. “They got dog’s abuse going round,” he recalled. “It’s not very nice for them, but it was just a small percentage of the crowd.”
On Monday, however, Lowry played down concerns that history will repeat itself.
“Whistling Straits was a bit different where there were no European fans at all,” he said. “There won’t be as many as the Americans this time, but there’ll still be some. I imagine the ones who come will bring great support.”
“We all live in America or play there most weeks, and we have a lot of fans there too. I don’t think they can turn on you that bad for one week — but that remains to be seen.”
Jon Rahm agreed that the crowd will be a factor, admitting it is “nearly impossible” to prepare for what’s coming, but said Donald has given the players “all the tools” they need to cope.
Still, not everyone shares Lowry’s optimism. Stefan Schauffele, father of U.S. star Xander, has vowed to boycott the matches, branding the Ryder Cup “unwatchable.” He recalled the abuse directed at Lowry’s wife in Wisconsin and admitted he is “afraid of what’s going to happen in New York.”
He also criticised last year’s fiery scenes in Rome, when Rory McIlroy clashed with Patrick Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava on the 18th green and again in the car park. “It’s only going to get worse,” Schauffele said.
McIlroy has since called that moment the angriest of his career, with Lowry himself stepping in to usher him away from the confrontation.
Europe may be bracing for a storm, but for Lowry, the hope is that the crowd’s bite will be softer than its bark.
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