Shane Lowry knows a thing or two about receiving abuse from golf fans in New York.
Some of the vitriol directed at Lowry and Rory McIlroy during the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black was quite simply unacceptable in any walk of life, let alone on the golf course.
The Irishman became embroiled in numerous arguments with fans who were hurling abuse at him throughout the week on Long Island.
Shane Lowry had the last laugh, though, as he holed the putt to retain the Ryder Cup for Team Europe on the final green during his Sunday Singles match against Russell Henley.
European fans were disgusted by what they saw at Bethpage Black, according to an exclusive from The Golfing Gazette.
Wyndham Clark received similar treatment from the fans during his US Open victory at Shinnecock Hills last week.
American fans jeering Clark rather than cheering him was incredibly strange and almost surreal to witness.
How Shane Lowry feels about New York golf fans after Wyndham Clark abuse
The 2019 Open champion is obviously in a position to empathize with Clark, after what he went through at Bethpage.
Lowry was asked to share his thoughts on the abuse that Clark received at Shinnecock, when speaking on the Shotgun Start Podcast for Fried Egg Golf,
“I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to say here,“ Lowry said.
“I think, uh, yeah, I think New York fans are interesting.
“They like the sound of their own voices. I think if they, if something comes into their head, they say it, and if it’s stupid, they just say it louder.
“Look, the Ryder Cup was different because it’s a team event and it’s like us against them.
“You know, Wyndham, what he went through on Sunday, fair play to him for coming out the other side of it.
“I’m sure that was pretty difficult, but, you know, they all wanted Scottie Scheffler to win, I’m sure.
“That’s the way they were.“
Shane Lowry says whether professional golf should return to Long Island
Lowry was asked about the recent calls for Long Island to be banned from hosting PGA Tour events and major championships.
“I don’t really know. Like, I heard somebody say that we shouldn’t go back to New York or Long Island, but I’m not sure I agree with that,“ he admitted.
“I just think in the lead up to it, in fact, you know, even in the lead up to it, I’m not sure it’s going to change how they’re going to act.
“So, it is what it is and we knew what we were signing up for when we got to Bethpage.
“I don’t think we thought it was going to be as bad as it was, but we dealt with it.“
The 39-year-old obviously knows what it’s like to receive abuse from New York fans but at the same time, he is firmly against banning events from being played on Long Island.
That really is an extremely admirable stance from Shane Lowry, but it is unclear whether Wyndham Clark agrees with his sentiment.
