Why Paige Spiranac is ‘not shocked’ by ugly fan behavior at Ryder Cup

Paige Spiranac didn’t hold back on the ugly fan behavior and taunts aimed at Team Europe’s Rory McIlroy throughout the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Taking to X on Monday, the golf influencer reacted to McIlroy, 36, being mercilessly heckled by fans and explained that “disgustingly drunk” spectators are ruining sports beyond golf.

“I’m sadly not shocked by the fan behavior at the Ryder Cup because it’s become the norm at most sporting events and in my opinion it needs to change across all sports,” Spiranac wrote following Team Europe’s 15-13 win over Team USA at Bethpage Black.

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“I was at a football game recently and this man in front of me was disgustingly drunk, yelling the most vile s–t to players and opposing fans in the stands, spilling his drink everywhere, wanting to fight people, and it completely ruined the experience for me and everyone around him.

“What was interesting was that his young (maybe 7 years old) nephew was right next to him listening to everything. At one point the kid started copying him and was yelling the same things and the family was laughing. This behavior is taught.

“I’m not saying you have to sit quietly. You can have passion, chirp, have fun banter, enjoy yourself at the event or game but there’s a line and it’s crossed so many times now.”

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McIlory was subjected to a slew of insults and lewd language from fans throughout the Ryder Cup — and things only escalated when his wife, Erica Stoll, was struck by a beverage Saturday from the rowdy crowd.

Spiranac, 32, weighed in on that scene and called for a “life ban” on whoever tossed the drink.

“Throwing a drink is absolutely unacceptable,” Spiranac wrote on X, where she included a clip of the incident.

The Northern Irishman public divorce filing from Stoll last year.

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Balionis made headlines off the course last May when a Daily Mail report linked her and McIlroy after he filed for divorce.

McIlroy and Stoll have since reunited, and his divorce petition was voluntarily dismissed.

McIlroy explained that it was a “rough week” for Team Europe, despite retaining the Ryder Cup.

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“Look, I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy said Sunday. “I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. … It was a rough week for all of us.

“But at the same time, we shut them up by our performance and how we played, and we tried to. I chirped back a few times because it got to me a few times, but we tried to handle everything that came our way with class and poise, and for the most part, I felt like we did that.”

Shane Lowry sank his putt on the 18th to seal a second consecutive victory for the Europeans.

The Ryder Cup will be held in Ireland in 2027.