‘It’s giving me goosebumps’ – Europe stars recall Ryder Cup triumph

Even though Europe’s golfers were already guaranteed victory at Bethpage, Bob MacIntyre was told that his Ryder Cup singles match could not be won.

Luke Donald’s team were desperate to triumph by more than a single point in last September’s match to prevent the United States citing the injury withdrawal of Viktor Hovland as a potentially decisive factor.

Harris English was substituted for the home side after declaring he could not play because of a neck complaint.

Europe won their first game in the US by 15 points to 13 in what was one of the year’s biggest sports stories.

But had MacIntyre lost to Sam Burns, with the American one up with one to play in the last match out on the course, then Europe would only have squeezed home by the narrowest margin.

Due to Hovland’s injury, English was unable to turn in a full-point performance for the home team that day.

The home player was one up when the visiting celebrations started. MacIntyre and Burns then left the 17th green. Although the match was now academic, two nearby European vice-captains did not agree with the outcome.

“Thomas]Bjorn] and one of the Molinari brothers came up to me and said we need your half point”, MacIntyre told BBC Sport. We really require your half-point, he said.

And I didn’t really understand when we were playing 18. I wanted to give Sam the putt,]because] it’s over. However, I believe the entire team didn’t want to be bothered by the Hovland incident and that half-point removed that.

On the final green, Burns three-putted from a distance of three feet, holding his Scottish opponent’s nerve for a par-hole-winning par. It yielded the half point that created a margin that meant the victory could not be questioned.

When the US won five and a half points from the first seven singles, MacIntyre admitted earlier in the round that he “thought the world was ending.” The most powerful Ryder Cup comeback was on hold at the time.

After the first two days, Europe gained seven points. Even with Ludvig Aberg defeating Patrick Cantlay, it still required Europe to win the eighth singles competition in order to remain victorious.

Shane Lowry famously holed a birdie putt to snatch a half against Russell Henley. Prior to this, the Irishman had warned against complacency.

No matter what the outcome of a Ryder Cup is, he told BBC Sport, “I said it to the boys on Saturday night, there’s always an hour where things can dramatically change.”

” From the outside looking in or if you’re sitting at home on your couch watching it, it doesn’t look like that, but it certainly feels like that when you’re out on the course. I was already aware that Americans would start firing.

Rory McIlroy and Lowry had collaborated on the previous two afternoons, preventing the Masters champion from receiving hateful treatment from some American fans. I felt like no matter what happened, he could lean on me, “Lowry said.

“I believe it was Harry Diamond’s caddie, me, him, Darren [Lowry’s caddie], and me, him, you know, me, him, you know,” he said. Harry and Darren are very close. We’re all very close and I think that’s what you needed in an environment like that. “

Donald, who created virtual reality headsets to aid in his players’ preparation, had anticipated such hostility. Nothing was left to chance.

While the Irish pair withstood the worst of the crowd excesses, other Europeans revelled in the New York atmosphere”. You’re being yelled at from all directions, Matthew Fitzpatrick told me.

How you’re going to play this hole poorly, you’re a loser, and all of these crazy things, and you’ll just have to laugh right away.

Sheffield’s Fitzpatrick was taunted for his brand of footwear and for wearing braces in his teeth until relatively recently”. I really enjoyed it, and I think it’s hilarious, “he said.

They definitely crossed the line with Rory and Shane and some of the other boys, according to what I’ve heard. So I think that’s obviously the disappointing aspect of it.

“And, like we say, we were aware of what was about to happen, and I believe that’s one of the reasons our team did so well,” the boys said.

On Saturday’s final hole of a fourball session against Hatton, who had been a late call up for the injured Hovland, Fitzpatrick scored a crucial point. They beat Burns and Cantlay on the final green.

This resulted in unprecedented advantage for Europe going into the closing session. On that green, I interviewed both Europeans, and it was obvious Fitzpatrick was desperate to celebrate with exuberant fans.

“You’re walking up 18 and you see everyone leaving”, he recalled more than two months later. “Is there a fire drill? ” are the chants coming. And you’re like, “Hold on a minute,” you say. There are no Americans in that stand.

And you come in at 18 and everyone is green, I mean, it’s making me shiver now that everyone in that position is European.

Fitzpatrick, who had a poor Ryder Cup record before Bethpage, was chosen as the captain’s pick and scored two and a half goals in four games. Only McIlroy and Hatton, who are four and a half, contributed more.

Fleetwood revelled in partnering the Masters champion in the morning alternate shot foursomes and after lunch with Justin Rose, the man McIlroy beat in April’s Augusta play-off.

Rose claimed that “it was in our heads.” People have been complaining about how difficult it will be for ten years.

” And to go there as a team and to be so perfect, almost, for the first two days. Really, we didn’t even permit them to enter.

“What transpired on Sunday demonstrates how excellent our Friday and Saturday performances were.”

Rose and McIlroy were two of only 37 Europeans to have previously tasted an away victory. The remaining ten team members had to work together to make number 37 turn into number 47.

They received the message that Bethpage would take their place and time last September, but it was repeatedly ignored. “We’re made so aware of what we’re doing and what we’re playing for and how special that is”, Fleetwood said.

“And that’s why we’re so proud of it. I believe that being on that team makes you the most authentic.

This year’s FedEx Cup champion added: “One Ryder Cup point just seems like it means so much and is so exhausting to finish”.

Lowry struggled with his voice the morning after the game ended. Because he was aware of how his rasping vocal chords might be interpreted, he cheerfully declined to participate in broadcast interviews.

And, yes, he had celebrated the night before. He felt that his moment of ensuring that Europe could not be overtaken was greater than the one he had when he won the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush.

It was well worth the raucous singalong on the team bus because Hatton and MacIntyre’s subsequent efforts made sure this was a win without caveat.

Champagne was more sprayed than drunk, though there were celebratory libations later at the team hotel. Lowry, however, maintained his innocence. He preferred to enjoy one of the best weeks of golf in Europe.

“At one stage during the night, I just took myself off to the corner of the room and just sat there watching people celebrating for a half an hour, 40 minutes”, Lowry said.

“And attempting to absorb everything.” Because I believe that I must do a lot to top that particular evening or week.

” You know, Ryder Cups are the best weeks ever, but that week in general, I think would be tough to beat. “