Rory McIlroy had just three words for long-suffering wife Erica Stoll as he embraced her after Europe’s nail-biting win over America in the Ryder Cup.

‘What a year’.

And after a tumultuous time for Erica that has included a divorce U-turn, Rory’s first Masters victory and violent vitriolic abuse over the Bethpage Black weekend, those three words would seem an understatement. 

In May last year, McIlroy served his wife with divorce papers at their home in Florida. His marriage with the mother of his daughter, Poppy, was ‘irretrievably broken,’ according to court documents. 

There were even rumours that the £75m superstar had been involved with CBS Sports presenter Amanda Balionis, which McIlroy simply called ‘unfortunate’ and denied. 

Rory McIlroy had three words for wife Erica Stoll after winning the Ryder Cup: ‘What a year’ 

The duo endured a slew of abuse and insults over the course of three days but stood strong

And yet, by June last year, less than a month later, McIlroy withdrew the divorce filing.

‘Thankfully, everything has worked out for the best and we’re happy and moving forward and I can’t wait for what lies ahead,’ he said. 

It’s that context, and all the personal damage it will have caused, that makes McIlroy’s ‘what a year’ comment feel something of an understatement. 

Indeed, the misogynistic, cruel and violent abuse Erica suffered in New York this weekend saw Stateside Ryder Cup fan behaviour plumb to new lows. 

She has a bottle of beer thrown at her and was called a ‘w****’ yet she endured that without complaint and refused to let it become a distraction for the team. 

Cruel American fans chanted ‘Amanda, Amanda’ in order to hurt Erica and remind of the unsubstantiated rumours that follow her husband.  

As Shane Lowry, who sunk the decisive putt, said: ‘I was out there for two days with Erica McIlroy and the amount of abuse that she received was astonishing. 

‘The way she was out there supporting her husband and supporting her team was unbelievable.’  

Stoll and McIlroy endured much tumult at Bethpage Black, a barrage of abuse from a crowd so toxic that state troopers and police dogs had to be deployed. 

But McIlroy got the bulk of the adulation as he was serenaded by his team-mates 

One brutish spectator even decided to bring up Rory’s ex-fiance Caroline Wozniacki when they reportedly shouted: ‘Your ex is looking for you.’

The abuse directed at McIlroy included frequent shots at his relationship with Stoll, with one fan shouting ‘How’s your divorce going?’, according to Golfweek. 

Being defiant in the face of vitriol was the story for the Europeans this year. At one point McIlroy refused to play a shot. Stoll, meanwhile, was praised by Luke Donald’s stars for her dignity despite the abuse – even if she had reportedly been reduced to tears. 

After all of that, it was McIlroy who got the glory. Team Europe serenaded him in their celebrations, their stars performing a version of ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries in honour of him. 

‘He’s in your head, in your head…. Rory, Rory, Rory’ was the refrain as McIlroy’s team-mates surround him in unison. Stoll, ever his cheerleader, joined in. 

Europe clung on to secure a 15-13 win in New York, surviving an inspired onslaught from their hosts on the final day to clinch an 11th Ryder Cup out of the last 15.  

Besides being a lightning rod for American rage at the Ryder Cup, McIlroy has had a remarkable season.

In March he won his second Players Championship, beating J.J. Spaun in a tense three-hole aggregate play-off in Florida. 

European captain Luke Donald is sprayed with champagne after leading his team to victory

Then, in April, he finally won the Masters in Augusta to complete a long-awaited career Grand Slam. 

Getting through the Ryder Cup was no doddle, particularly due to the hostility of the crowd. 

The first tee emcee, Heather McMahan, had kicked things off by leading chants of ‘f*** you Rory’ to get the crowd going. 

No wonder McIlroy condemned the abuse post-victory. 

‘I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,’ he said.

‘I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people. 

‘Sometimes this week we didn’t see that. So no, this should not be what is acceptable in the Ryder Cup. We will be making sure to say to our fans in Ireland in 2027 that what happened here this week is not acceptable.

‘Come and support your team. I think if I was an American, I would be annoyed … I didn’t hear a lot of shouts for Scottie [Scheffler] today, but I heard a lot of shouts against me. It’s like, support your players. That’s the thing.

‘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.’