Comedian Heather McMahan, who served as emcee at the Ryder Cup\u2019s first tee, apologized for participating in a foul-mouthed chant directed at Rory McIlroy on the tournament\u2019s second day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would just like to say I immediately did not like the energy and the vibe from when that started to happen,\u201d McMahan said on her \u201cAbsolutely Not With Heather McMahan\u201d podcast Wednesday<\/a>. \u201cI will take full responsibility and sincerely apologize to Rory and Team Europe for saying that. It was so foolish of me. I did not start the chant. I would just like that narrative to get out there. I did not start it, but any way that I participated in that, even just saying it once, was so foolish and so silly of me.\u201d<\/p>\n Video footage online showed McMahan saying \u201cf\u2014 you, Rory\u201d into a microphone before play began on the second day, as she attempted to amp up the crowd.<\/p>\n After the video circulated, McMahan stepped down as emcee<\/a> Sunday, the final day of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Afterward, the PGA of America, which runs the competition, said McMahan \u201cextended an apology\u201d to McIlroy and Ryder Cup Europe.<\/p>\n \u201cIt went from us trying to be fun and funny and get it going to immediately was just negative and felt really toxic,\u201d McMahan said Wednesday. \u201cAs soon as I said that, I was like I don\u2019t want any part of this. This was just getting weird, and I don\u2019t know how to control this crowd of 4,000 dudes at 5 o\u2019clock in the morning, shouting crazy s\u2013t.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as that happened, I immediately turned to my producer and said, \u2018Let\u2019s just get the DJ to play music. I don\u2019t know what to do with this audience right now, so I\u2019m not going to participate.’\u201d<\/p>\n PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague told The Athletic on Wednesday<\/a> that he and other senior leaders in the organization said, \u201cShe\u2019s done\u201d as soon as they heard it, and has sent a lengthy apology to McIlroy and his wife, Erica.<\/p>\n McIlroy, 36, was subjected to abuse<\/a> from disappointed American fans as the United States struggled throughout the tournament. On Saturday, McIlroy repeatedly had to step away from his golf ball as spectators shouted obscenities and personal insults at the Irishman. At least 20 police officers were on or around the tee box at No. 10, some of them on bicycles, in an attempt to dissuade spectators.<\/p>\n While in the fairway on the 16th hole, fans continued to yell at McIlroy while he went through his pre-shot routine. He turned and directed an obscenity back at them, which was caught on video and\u00a0quickly shared on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n