Rory McIlroy demanded Ryder Cup fan be ejected after calling him homophobic slur

WARNING, OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE: Rory McIlroy was subjected to vile abuse during Europe's Ryder Cup victory, telling security to remove a fan who directed a homophobic slur towards him

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Rory McIlroy had a spectator removed from the second day of the Ryder Cup after being targeted with a homophobic slur. For the first time since Medinah in 2012, an away side left the event with the trophy.

Europe were forced to dig in at Bethpage Black as the United States staged an incredible comeback, which only just fell short. Following Viktor Hovland's withdrawal because of injury, which secured half a point for Europe, the US fought back with Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and JJ Spaun all claiming victories in their encounters.

However, Europe managed to get across the line courtesy of Shane Lowry, who holed a crucial putt on the 18th to halve with Russell Henley and guarantee the Ryder Cup remained in European hands before they secured an outright 15-13 victory.

McIlroy, who appeared rather weary having participated in all five sessions, succumbed to world No. 1 Scheffler in their singles clash. The Northern Irishman was exhausted, having endured a barrage of hostility throughout the event.

In footage shared on social media, McIlroy chose to take action against a supporter who overstepped the mark on day two. As McIlroy and wife Erica Stoll passed by, the spectator beyond the barriers apparently yelled: "Rory! Hey, ya little f*****."

Almost instantly, McIlroy whipped his head round as the grin vanished from his face. He glared at the individual and quickly summoned security.

"Throw him out," the five-time major winner said, seemingly pointing directly at the culprit. The alleged perpetrator protested his innocence and questioned why McIlroy wanted him ejected, only for the 36-year-old to respond: "For calling me a f*****."

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Every member of Team Europe encountered a particularly nasty and aggressive crowd, but McIlroy bore the brunt of the hostility. He remained firm that such conduct shouldn't be tolerated in golf going forward.

"I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week," he said. "Golf has the ability to unite people. 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.

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"The police out there and the amount of security presence was insane. Look, nothing was going to happen – there wasn’t going to be a physical altercation or anything like that – but there was a lot of language that was unacceptable and abusive behaviour.

"It's a minority of the crowd, it's not the majority. The majority of people here are true golf fans and are respectful, but I don't think we should ever accept that in golf."

McIlroy faced constant jeering even as he addressed his ball. At one point, Justin Thomas even gestured for supporters to quieten down while his rival was taking his shot. State troopers were even deployed to help restore order.