American comedian Heather McMahan has issued a response after she was forced to step down from her role as Ryder Cup MC for leading offensive chants against Rory McIlroy at Bethpage.
Europe survived an almighty scare on Sunday to successfully retain their title in stunning fashion after the hosts staged a spirited fightback in what was a gripping climax in New York.
Despite holding a commanding 12-5 lead over their US counterparts at the start of Sunday’s singles session, Luke Donald’s side almost threatened a historic collapse before squeaking over the line to a 15-13 victory.
The victory secures only Europe’s fifth away Ryder Cup victory, and one that will taste even sweeter given the frenzied, and at times unsavoury, atmosphere that the visitors were subjected to by the home crowd.
McIlroy, in particular, was the subject of the lion’s share of abuse from US fans, with heckling spectators even being ejected from one of his matches on Saturday.
And there was further controversy surrounding McIlroy when it emerged that McMahan, a comedian brought in to energise the crowd on the first tee, had led supporters in chants of ‘f*** you, Rory!’
The subsequent backlash saw the American comic step down from her position, as well as extend a formal apology to McIlroy and the European team.
And in a brief post on social media, McMahan has now issued a response following her sacking from the role.
‘Guys, I’m having a glass of wine… It’s been a f****** day,’ she joked on her Instagram story, appearing to reference the dramatic fallout from her chants on the first tee.
McIlroy, meanwhile, still had to battle the crowds on the final day of the tournament, losing his singles match to Scottie Scheffler after it emerged that his wife, Erika, had been struck by a drink the evening prior.
‘Erica is fine. She’s a very, very strong woman,’ he explained in Europe’s post-tournament press conference.
‘She handled everything this week with class, poise and dignity like she always has. I love her and we’re going to have a good time celebrating tonight.’
On the level of abuse he faced, McIlroy added: ‘‘We shouldn’t ever accept that in golf.
‘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.
‘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.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.