Rory McIlroy appeared to make an offensive gesture towards the crowd as US media called for him to be 'kicked out' of the 2025 Ryder Cup.
McIlroy was subjected to persistent abuse by the Bethpage Black crowd on the first day of the Ryder Cup.
The golf star was targeted by American fans as he was serenaded by chants of 'f**k you, Rory' when he arrived on the first tee on Friday.
There was no letting up as the verbal onslaught continued all day, with various expletives aimed at McIlroy and his partners, including Tommy Fleetwood in the morning foursomes and Shane Lowry in the afternoon fourballs.
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The hostile reception seemed to inspire the 36-year-old, who performed brilliantly alongside Fleetwood as they beat Collin Morikawa and Harris English 5&4.
And McIlroy and Lowry halved a thrilling match against Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns.
However, the constant abuse eventually took its toll on McIlroy, who appeared to raise his middle finger to the Bethpage Black crowd during the final match of the afternoon fourballs.
After the Irish duo won the par-four 11th, McIlroy gestured towards the fans as he walked off the green. Lowry was also seen to do the same on another occasion.
US media caught wind of McIlroy's gesture as Barstool Sports called for him to be disqualified in a tongue-in-cheek article.
They wrote: "Disgusting! The Ryder Cup should have no option but to suspend him for a day or at make his matches a forfeit. If I've had to sit here for nearly 10 hours hearing about 'The Concession' over and over again, the Ryder Cup should stick to their guns of sportsmanship.
"You don't see Scottie giving the finger to anyone or anything when he misses his 30th putt in a row. You don't see Cantlay doing this against Rory or Morikawa/English doing this when they got their ass kicked. It's disgusting!"
An American fan, however, argued: "Zero issue with this as an American. This is New York, they definitely deserved it."
Speaking before Friday's session, McIlroy explained his approach to dealing with the abuse.
He said: "I felt like at Hazeltine [in 2016, when the US won 17-11], I probably engaged too much at times, and then at Whistling Straits [in 2021, when the US won 19-9], I didn’t engage enough and felt pretty flat because of it. It’s just trying to find that balance."
Topics: Fan Reactions, Golf, Rory Mcilroy
Nasir Jabbar