The European Ryder Cup team was dominated by the United States team from start to finish this week, and no one took the loss harder than Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy didn’t play well on Friday or Saturday at Whistling Straits, but he managed to salvage a point when he won his singles match against Xander Schauffele on Sunday. He was quick to deflect any attention away from the individual accomplishment. McIlroy gave an emotional interview with NBC after his round and fought back tears as he spoke about how much playing in the Ryder Cup means to him.
An emotional Rory McIlroy after his singles victory.#TeamEurope #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/nhvkUlVV5V
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 26, 2021
“The more and more I play in this event, I realize that it’s the best event in golf, bar none. I love being a part of it,” McIlroy said. “I can’t wait to be a part of many more. … It’s an absolute privilege. I’ve gotten to do this six times. They’ve always been my greatest experiences in my career. I’ve never really cried or gotten emotional about what I’ve done as an individual — I couldn’t give a s—.”
Europe had won nine of the previous 12 Ryder Cup events heading into this year. The U.S. bucked the trend with a 19-9 thumping, which was the largest margin of victory since continental Europe was introduced to the Ryder Cup in 1979.
McIlroy is only 32, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to erase the foul stench from 2021. The next Ryder Cup will also be in Europe, so McIlroy’s team will be the one on the receiving end of awesome supportive chants like this.
