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RORY MCILROY has taken a dig at his European Ryder Cup teammate Matt Fitzpatrick about his drinking abilities while also jesting about his love for numbers.
The Northern Irish golfer has been front and center in the celebrations following Sunday’s remarkable victory at Bethpage Black.
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Credit: AP
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Throughout the event, McIlroy notched three victories for Europe, finishing with a total of 3.5 points, just behind Tommy Fleetwood over the weekend.
Since then, he has relished the opportunity to tease the USA players, fans, and media, alongside taking a cheeky swipe at Fitzpatrick.
During a team press conference, Team Europe discussed who among them were the strongest drinkers.
Tyrrell Hatton claimed that Sepp Straka “will remain undefeated,” while Shane Lowry admitted that he struggles with alcohol compared to his teammates.
Straka himself nominated Hatton, while McIlroy surprisingly chose Justin Rose as a contender.
Rose, appearing slightly embarrassed, confessed, “I got a bit scared of myself after 2018.”
Though Fitzpatrick had been quiet until that point, McIlroy called him out, implying that he favors statistics over socializing by saying, “Fitzy has to fill in his stat sheet from today.”
Alluding to Fitzpatrick’s notorious obsession with data and shot tracking—he’s said to have recorded every stroke since 2019—McIlroy elicited hearty laughter from those present.
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This isn’t the first instance where McIlroy found himself in the spotlight; he expressed confidence in saying that he is “really f****** good” and addressed the abuse received by the European players.
McIlroy and several teammates encountered heckling, leading him to request some spectators to be ejected.
One individual was reported for using homophobic slurs, while others were scolded for disrupting players during their swings.
Even McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, faced chants from some American fans.
The Masters champion responded, saying: “What happened here this week is unacceptable. We should never tolerate such behavior in golf.”
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“Golf should uphold a higher standard than what was witnessed this week.”
He continued, “Golf has the ability to unite people. It imparts important life lessons, etiquette, and respect for rules and individuals.
“Regrettably, we didn’t see much of that this week. Therefore, this should not be deemed acceptable at the Ryder Cup.”
