"She Was Unbelievable": Robert MacIntyre on Erica Stoll During Rory McIlroy Incident
via Imago
Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill - Round 4 Rory McIlroy celebrates with wife Erica Stoll after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla. Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS Orlando FL USA EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx 1226309 StephenxM.xDowellx krtphotoslive821371
Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, stayed calm and did not react, but according to Robert MacIntyre, that moment may have helped save Europe’s 2025 Ryder Cup hopes. In an interview with Golf Digest, he said Erica Stoll "was unbelievable."
At Bethpage Black last year, the crowd became very hostile during a Saturday four-balls match with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry. The two players stopped on the sixth hole because the crowd would not calm down.
Robert MacIntyre was watching from the team room while getting treatment. He quickly gathered around 10 players, caddies, and staff to support his teammates. But the person who caught his attention most was someone sitting quietly in the back of a golf cart
via Imago
Ryder Cup 2025 Matt Fitzpatrick lifting the trophy alongside, Captain Luke Donald, Shane Lowry, Rasmus Hojgaard, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Robert MacIntyre, Ludvig Aberg, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland , Tommy Fleetwood and Sepp Straka of Team Europ after the Sunday Singles match at the 2025 Ryder Cup, Bethpage Black Golf Course, Farmingdale, New York, USA. 28/09/2025 Picture: Golffile Fran Caffrey All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Fran Caffrey Copyright: xFranxCaffreyx *EDI*,
"Honestly, it was Erica who amazed me most," MacIntyre told Golf Digest at Taymouth Castle. "She was sitting in the back of that buggy like an absolute trooper, not flinching."
MacIntyre detailed the significance of her composure. “If she had reacted, Rory would have reacted too. If both of them reacted, the crowd would have won,” he said. “She was unbelievable.”
He had one goal: he wanted McIlroy and Lowry to look up and see the support rather than the hostile faces.
Robert MacIntyre's Ryder Cup Win That Still Gives Him Goosebumps
On Saturday afternoon, while walking to the 18th hole, MacIntyre said there were hardly any American fans in sight. Europe had fully taken control of the session. "The golf the European team played on Friday and Saturday, and the putts we holed, were outrageous," he told Golf Digest.
He didn't hold back about the crowd's conduct throughout the week, either. "I've never seen so many players on the European team turn around and swear back at the crowd," MacIntyre said.
The victory holds significant historical weight for MacIntyre. Before Bethpage, only 37 European players had ever won a Ryder Cup on foreign soil.
"Now there are 47. I get goosebumps thinking about what we managed to achieve over there," he said.
MacIntyre is a two-time PGA Tour winner who nearly won the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont. He has now won two Ryder Cups in a row. A major title is the one big prize missing from his career, and his story from Bethpage shows he is ready to chase it.
Follow Club Golf for more.
Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Pulkit Prabhav