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• BBC
• Wed Nov 5 2025

Rory McIlroy says he received a "lovely" message from the boss of the PGA of America following the abuse he and his wife Erica suffered at the hands of some American fans at the Ryder Cup.

The Masters champion added he took it as "a compliment" that he was the target of rowdy US supporters and it "galvanised" the European team during their 15-13 victory at Bethpage.

In the aftermath of the tumultuous contest last September, PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague promised to contact McIlroy and his wife. The Masters champion has confirmed he received the message.

"I got a lovely email from Derek Sprague apologising," McIlroy told BBC Sport before competing at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

"Erica worked with Derek at the PGA of America back in the day so we know Derek and his wife pretty well. He couldn't have been more gracious or apologetic and he wrote us a lovely letter, which we really appreciated."