Rory McIlory was late to the party. He had been out on the course supporting his teammates when his great friend Shane Lowry knocked in the putt that retained the Ryder Cup on the 18th green, and the celebrations had already kicked off.
You knew McIlory had finally arrived when a booming chant of “Rory!” exploded from the horseshoe grandstand around the green. By now it was 6pm, there was only one match left out on the course and the seats were filled exclusively by European fans as Americans fled the scene.
McIlory high-fived the outstretched hand of US captain Keegan Bradley’s young son on his way through the melee before embracing Lowry with a big bear hug. McIlroy shared a long, emotional clench with Jose Maria Olazabal, the man who best embodies the spirit of Team Europe, who cares more than anybody about this competition, their link to the past.
Bradley marched across to Lowry and offered a handshake. It was brief and very few words were exchanged. Bradley’s infamous quote ahead of this Ryder Cup – “We are going to go to Bethpage to kick their f****** ass!” – was printed on the wall of Team Europe’s locker room as inspiration. Now the US team were quickly shuffling off stage. After three days of golf played inside a ferocious New York atmosphere, Europe had driven every last one of them off the course.
The trophy presentation was chaotic. An attempted interview with Luke Donald was drowned out by chants of “are you watching, Donald Trump?” from the grandstand. Jon Rahm explained to Tyrrell Hatton exactly what was being sung, and Hatton giggled.
Rasmus Hojgaard, the rookie who won no points during this Ryder Cup, was reluctant to take his turn lifting the trophy and hung back, but his teammates pushed him to the front of the platform to have his moment in front of the European fans, who gave him an almighty cheer.
Shane Lowry ran into the crowd and briefly relinquished the trophy to a spectator before it was grabbed back. There were photos with caddies, photos with vice-captains and then the iconic photo of Rome repeated with the wives, girlfriends and the single Viktor Hovland on his own. He tried to stand on the end of the line but McIlroy insisted he lie down in the middle of the picture, just as he did two years ago.
Then they were off, over the bridge that links the 18th green to the player facilities, where thousands of fans below serenaded the players passing overhead in a beautifully spontaneous moment of mutual appreciation. The bridge had the names of the US players emblazoned on its side, and McIlroy draped a European flag over one particular name in what looked like a deliberate act of mischief: “DeChambeau” was completely cloaked.
They popped in for a giddy press conference, beers on the go, where Sepp Straka was declared the “undefeated” party king of the team by Hatton. They gathered in the locker room where the whole team sang their own rendition of “Are you watching, Donald Trump?” Then came Champagne showers on the putting green. McIlroy stood still, arms down by his sides, as Lowry uncorked and sprayed a full blast in his face, howling with laughter.
On the bus back to their hotel they blared out music just as they did in Rome. It was rowdy. “Europe’s on fire, USA is terrified!” had been sung by pockets of fans across the weekend, much to the ire or just confusion of Americans, and the team launched into their own raucous rendition. Then came another fan favourite, to the tune of the Cranberries’ “Zombie”: “He’s in your heeee-ad, in your heeee-ad, Rory! Rory! Rory!” McIlroy hoisted the trophy aloft as his adoring teammates sang. He got in New Yorkers’ heads all weekend and performed extraordinarily in the circumstances.
They sang “We Are the Champions”, too. Only 47 European men have ever won the Ryder Cup on American soil. Here were 12 of them, revelling in a piece of sporting history.
It had taken three days to triumph but it had been two years in the making, ever since McIlroy confidently declared they were going to New York to win while sitting in the victory press conference in Rome. He called it one of the hardest feats in all of sport and Europe made it look that way at times on Sunday. But they arrived at Bethpage Black this week with one clear goal and they achieved it: leaving, slightly drunk, with the Ryder Cup.
