Former Ryder Cup captain Tony Jacklin CBE has leapt to the defence of Rory Mcllroy after he was blasted by the father of Xander Schauffele.
Stefan Schaufelle sent shockwaves through golf last week when he revealed he won’t attend the Ryder Cup later this year.
The 61-year-old – whose son finished The Open in T7 over the weekend – has blasted the conduct of players and fans in the last two competitions and slammed the “disgusting” behaviour of Rory McIlroy .
He said: “I’m not going to the Ryder Cup, I’m afraid of what’s going to happen in New York. I was there [at Whistling Straits] when they called Shane Lowry’s wife a w**** in front of him. I couldn’t believe my ears.
“I saw what happened in Rome. That was utterly disgusting, claiming this money bulls***. And Rory behaved disgustingly in my opinion. It’s only going to get worse. It’s ruined my appetite for the Ryder Cup. It becomes unwatchable.”
Jacklin, a two-time major winner and Golf Hall of Famer, who revolutionised Team Europe as captain from 1983 to 1989 to three consecutive victories and the first on American soil, has been left dismayed by the comments.
The 81-year-old defended the heated nature of McIlroy, and said the Ryder Cup was still as important as ever.
Speaking to the Midlands-based business consultancy Champions (UK) plc, he said: “One thing that p***** me off was the comments from Stefan Schauffele, when he said the Ryder Cup is losing its lustre because of the behaviour of the players and fans, and said Rory’s reaction last time was ‘disgusting’.
“But Rory was absolutely right in what he did. You’ll always get heated moments in matches. I remember in Boston when the Americans ran on the green, I was the first to say there was no malice behind it, and that it was just pure exuberance.
“Obviously there has to be that mutual respect between the teams, but there’s always elements of the media that take them out of context.
“The Ryder Cup is still a must-watch, a hugely important event in the game of golf. I have every reason to believe Europe can do it again.”
The 45th Ryder Cup will be held in the United States from September 26–28, 2025, on the Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, New York. Europe is the holder of the Ryder Cup after its win over the United States in 2023 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.
Jacklin was speaking ahead of this year’s Farmfoods British Par 3, a 92-year-old golfing event which he has hosted since 2008 at Nailcote Hall, Warwickshire.
