Europe Wins Ryder Cup at Bethpage Amid Hostile Crowd

Team Europe secured a 15-13 victory over Team USA at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York this month, but the result was overshadowed by sustained hostile behavior from portions of the gallery that targeted European players and their families. Europe built a commanding lead through the first two days, at one point leading by seven points, and held off a strong late American singles charge to clinch the trophy.

Ludvig Aberg provided the decisive point in singles, defeating Patrick Cantlay as Europe withstood a spirited Sunday comeback. The win marked Europe’s first Ryder Cup victory on U.S. soil in more than a decade and gave captain Luke Donald a second consecutive successful captaincy. European vice captain Edoardo Molinari, who has been credited with a data-driven approach to pairings and strategy, said the team’s preparation and in-event adjustments were decisive.

The week’s atmosphere drew widespread criticism after repeated incidents of verbal abuse, obscene chanting and at least one instance of a thrown beverage that struck Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica, according to reports and team statements. Jon Rahm described the week as “mentally the worst week in my life” while...