The PGA of America has issued a formal apology to Rory McIlroy, his wife Erica Stoll, and the rest of the European Ryder Cup team following an unprecedented level of abuse from some spectators during last week’s contest at Bethpage Black in New York. The Ryder Cup, one of golf’s most prestigious team events, is renowned for passionate and vocal fans. The act, widely condemned by players, officials, and commentators, drew immediate attention to the risks that players’ families face during high-profile sporting events. I feel badly and I plan on apologising to them.”The apology also follows reports that a Ryder Cup crowd announcer was stood down after leading an expletive-filled chant about McIlroy. The chant was reportedly encouraged by sections of the audience and has been widely criticised as one of the most inappropriate moments in Ryder Cup history.