DANNY WILLETT HAS revealed that his wife and parents were the target of unruly American fans during the Ryder Cup.
Willett’s brother Pete wrote an inflammatory column ahead of the tournament, criticising the behaviour of American fans.
Both European captain Darren Clarke and Willett condemned the piece after it was published but the Masters Champion has since reversed his opinion and claimed that his brother ‘was in fact, correct.’
The European team was subjected to a hostile reception at Hazeltine with Rory McIlroy making gestures to the crowd in response to the taunts and requesting that a fan be removed from the course at one point.
A disastrous start on Friday left Europe in need of a miracle for the rest of the weekend and after trailing their opponents 9½-6½ on the final day, USA eventually crushed them 17-11 to claim their first Ryder Cup in eight years.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Willett elaborated on the foul treatment his family received while watching the golf:
“Unfortunately, you have got the odd one or two that don’t necessarily go there to actually watch the golf, which is a shame but that is what it is. I don’t think it is ever going to stop.”
“When you are walking around a golf event week to week, everyone is fantastic. You pitch up and play a golf event anywhere in the world and the fans are great.”
“I don’t think you should be walking around playing golf while people are saying things to your parents and saying things to your wife. I don’t think that’s our sport – that’s not what we play for and that’s not what we do and unfortunately that happened and it put a little bit of a downer on what was supposed to be my first really good experience of the Ryder Cup.”
“But going forward, it is what we play for, so we will hopefully be there in 2018 and being strong for Europe.”
Willett, who will feature in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this week, stressed that this Ryder Cup experience hasn’t sullied his view of the competition.
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I bet the brother wasn’t actually there
But “we” were and apparently “we “hope to be there again .. Strange man
From the BBC
“The Masters champion, who failed to win a point on his Ryder Cup debut, said the abuse came from a “massively tiny proportion” of the huge crowds in Minnesota.”
Much like his contribution to the European Team then
my monocle just fell into my brandy from the shock of reading about those unsportsmanlike Yanks. how uncouth.
They can’t be surprised. The fans in the US have always been like this. You have to man up and take it, no point in whining about it. A load of those fans will treat it like a college football game, starting on the sauce from early morning. Really, the apparent surprise from Rory and co on this is laughable. You shut them up by winning.
@Robert Cousins: It’s well documented what Woosnam had to endure at the Masters he won and that’s supposed to policed by Pinkerton agents and they blow about upholding the highest standards. Yanks never could hold their drink.
Judging by the abuse Rory got on here last week, it’s hardly too different from there! So if that’s what ‘Europeans’ say about their top ranked player, hardly shocking the opposition say the odd thing!
@Martin Quinn While not in the habit of repeating myself, I was pointing out that Rory gets abuse from both sides of that Atlantic, which from this side I find a little galling considering all he’s done and he doesn’t seem like the worst person ever. Now horses, they are worst people! The comment on my ‘abuse of all types of people’ and it being on a ‘regular basis’, I’m taken aback by that… I am very selective and considerate in where I target my abuse. If you are perhaps saying I have a somewhat cavalier attitude or scattergun approach with it, then you are either confusing me with my cousin black boots or white boots, certainly not work boots but most likely cowboy boots. It’s not as if I stand at my living room window and shout ‘ABUSE’ at passers by! Yet! As in aside, and to show some interest in your point, I tend to agree with you, who agrees with your brother who lives at hazeltine (20 miles south east) who agrees with Danny Willet that his brother was right about the American fans!
Your article topics are getting weird. There are a few diamonds that keep me coming back but there are Non stop MMA articles even though the only ones that get views are mcgregor. then pick out the worst bits of news about the rest of the sports world like this. there is no consistency, like you will post a video of Novak Djokovic singing and then not post about tennis for 3 months. the Irish tmz of sport is what you are becoming.
Agreed, but I’d still take the 42 slightly before that god awful sportsJoe.ie
Ah no don’t be crying, they still have some good stuff it’s just littered with crap as well these days. I used to read most of the articles on here now I read about 1 in 5 I’d say. and yeah haha sports Joe makes this site look great. Click bait articles all over social media based on articles from year old tweets from nobodies and whatnot
Time to move on Danny!!!
MASHED POTATOES
His brother should have really thought what impact his article would have on him. Forgetting the team but his brother will have to play in the states for years to come.
no sympathy, you reap what you sow…