Bob McIntyre was told there would be no mercy in the Ryder Cup singles match, even though the European golfer had already guaranteed victory at Bethpage.
Luke Donald’s side were desperate to win the game last September by more than a point to thwart the Americans, with Viktor Hovland’s injury absence cited as a potential deciding factor.
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The Norwegian was given a guaranteed half-point after Harris English declared himself unable to play due to a sore neck due to the home team’s absence.
In one of the biggest sports stories of the year, Europe defeated the United States for the first time in 13 years by a 15-13 margin.
But if McIntyre lost to Sam Burns and the Americans were down by one point going into their final match on the course, Europe would have only been able to narrowly win at home.
Hovland’s injury ended English’s chance of picking up a point for the home team on the final day.
Tyrrell Hatton and Collin Morikawa tied the score, allowing Europe to finally withstand a stunning American comeback and reach the magic number of 14.5 points.
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“Where can we win by two and a half points?”
As the visiting celebrations began, McIntyre and Burns left the 17th green with the home player one up. The match became academic, but two European vice-captains nearby thought otherwise.
“Thomas (Bjorn) and one of the Molinari brothers came to me and said we need your half point,” McIntyre told BBC Sport. “I really need your half point.
“And I didn’t really understand it when I was playing No. 18. I wanted to give Sam the putt (because) it was over. But I think the whole team didn’t want to worry about Hovland, and that half-point took that away from them.”
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Burns three-putted from long range on the final green, and his Scottish opponent held his own for the hole-winning par. This gave them half a point and an unquestionable margin of victory.
At the beginning of the round, McIntyre admitted that he “thought the world was ending” when America scored 5.5 points on the first seven singles. Suddenly, the possibility of the most versatile comeback in Ryder Cup history emerged.
“Where can we win by two and a half points?” McIntyre said. “And the longer it went on, the more we thought we weren’t going to get these 2.5 points.”
“I’m being yelled at from all angles.”
Europe dominated the first two days, building a seven-point advantage. But even if Ludwig Aberg defeated Patrick Cantlay, it took until Europe’s eighth singles contest to securely retain the trophy.
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Shane Lowry famously holed a birdie putt against Russell Henry to win the half. The Irishman has previously warned against complacency.
“I said that to the players on Saturday night. No matter what the score is, there’s always one hour on Sunday of the Ryder Cup (where things can change dramatically),” he told BBC Sport.
“It doesn’t look like that when you’re watching from the outside or sitting on your couch at home, but it certainly feels like that when you’re out on the course. So I knew the Americans were going to come firing.”
Lowry had partnered with Rory McIlroy on the previous two afternoons to help the Masters champion endure vile abuse from some in the American crowd. “I felt like no matter what happened, he could rely on me,” Lowry said.
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“I think it was the four of us: me, him, Darren (Reynolds, Lowry’s caddy) and Harry Diamond (McIlroy’s caddy). Darren and Harry are really close. We all get along really well and I think that’s what you needed in an environment like that.”
Such hostility was anticipated by Donald, who issued virtual reality headsets to help players prepare. Nothing was left to chance.
While the Irish pair endured the worst crowd excesses, other Europeans soaked up the New York atmosphere. “You’re getting yelled at from every angle,” Matt Fitzpatrick told me.
“It’s all crazy stuff like how I’m going to play poorly on this hole and how I’m going to be the underdog, but at that point I just have to laugh.”
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Until relatively recently, Fitzpatrick, from Sheffield, was ridiculed for his shoe brand and for having braces on his teeth. “I think it’s interesting, I really like it,” he said.
“But from what I’ve heard, they clearly crossed the line with Rory and Shane and the rest of the boys. So I think that’s obviously a shame.”
“And, like we say, we knew what was going to happen, and I think that’s why the players were so mentally prepared for it, and that’s another reason why we did so well.”
Fitzpatrick scored a crucial point on the final hole of Saturday’s four-ball session, playing with Hatton, who was called up late to replace the injured Hovland. He beat Burns and Cantlay on the final green.
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This meant Europe won the session and had an unprecedented advantage until the final day. I interviewed both Europeans on the green, and it was clear that Fitzpatrick was desperate to celebrate with the jubilant fans in attendance.
“As I was walking past 18, I saw everyone leaving,” he recalled more than two months later. “You hear a chant saying, ‘Is there a fire drill?’ And you’re like, ‘Wait a minute.’ There are no Americans in the stands.
“And when you finish on the 18th, everyone’s on the green. I mean, it gives me goosebumps to think that everyone in that stand is European.”
“And they’re chanting and singing, and it was probably a once-in-a-lifetime feeling to experience that.”
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“It’s going to take a long time to get to the top this week.”
Fitzpatrick had a poor Ryder Cup record before Bethpage, but was named captain and scored 2.5 points in four games. Only Tommy Fleetwood (four) and McIlroy and Hatton (three and a half each) contributed more.
Fleetwood partnered with the Masters champion in an alternative shot four-pointer in the morning and enjoyed having lunch with Justin Rose, whom McIlroy defeated in the Augusta playoffs in April.
“It was in our heads,” Rose said. “For 10 years, people have been saying how difficult it’s going to be.
“And we went there as a team and the first two days were almost perfect. In fact, we didn’t allow them to be a part of it at all.
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“What happened on Sunday shows how good we were on Friday and Saturday.”
Rose and McIlroy were two of just 37 European players to ever taste an away victory. The goal was for the other 10 team members to go from 37 to 47.
They were repeatedly given the message that Bethpage was their place and their time last September. “We’ve become very aware of what we’re doing, what we’re playing for and how special it is,” Fleetwood said.
“And we take great pride in that. I think being part of that team brings out the best version of you.”
This year’s FedEx Cup champion added, “One Ryder Cup point seems to mean so much and it’s so exhausting to finish.”
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The morning after the game, Lowry was having trouble speaking. He cheerfully declined to be interviewed on air because he knew how his raspy vocal chords would be interpreted.
And yes, he had celebrated the night before. He felt the moment when he knew he wouldn’t lose to Europe was bigger than when he won the British Open at Royal Portrush in 2019.
The ensuing first half between Hatton and McIntyre ensured this was a win without any caveats, so it was well worth the raucous singalong on the team bus.
Champagne was more often sprayed than drunk, but celebratory drinks were shared afterwards at the team hotel. But Lowry wasn’t angry. He preferred to enjoy one of the best weeks in European golf.
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“At one stage during the night, I just went to the corner of the room and sat there for 30 or 40 minutes watching people celebrate,” Lowry said.
“And I’m just trying to absorb all of that because I feel like it’s going to take a long time to come out on top that night or that week.
“You know, the Ryder Cup is the best week ever, but generally speaking I think it’s hard to win that week.”
5 Live Golf’s look back at the year, including the Ryder Cup and McIlroy’s Masters win, will be broadcast on 5 Live and BBC Sounds at noon on December 26 and midnight on January 1.
