|
It was a rare burst of emotion this week for the Northern
Irishman, who appeared stoic - if not exhausted - in going 0-3
during the group rounds. He played poorly enough that captain
Padraig Harrington sat McIlroy during the first session on
Saturday, the first one the four-time major champion has missed
during his Ryder Cup career.
After finishing off the Olympic gold medalist on Sunday,
however, a tearful McIlroy called the Ryder Cup "the best event
in golf" while saying he only wished he had contributed more to
his team's cause.
"Incredibly proud to be a part of this team, to be a teammate of
all these guys," he said. "We've had a great time.
"I've been extremely disappointed that I haven't contributed for
more the team. I'm glad I got a point on the board today for
them."
McIlroy's view of the event has come full circle since
infamously saying in 2009 that "the Ryder Cup is not a huge goal
of mine."
He now regularly speaks about the potential of serving as
captain in the future, and McIlroy's passion for the event was
clear in his post-round interview Sunday.
"It's been a tough week," he acknowledged. "And 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. I can't wait to be a
part of many more.
"I don't think there's any greater privilege to be a part of one
of these teams, European or American. It's an absolute
privilege."
McIlroy said he was on a mission to score a point for his team
Sunday, even though he knew a record comeback by the Europeans
was highly unlikely. But he wanted the point for his teammates -
and to serve as inspiration to boys and girls watching the
event.
"I have not - never really cried or got emotional over what I've
done as an individual," he said. "I've said naive and stupid
things in the past but this is by far the biggest tournament
that we have in golf.
"You look at the crowds. You look at what it means, it's the
best. I can't wait to be a part of many, many more Ryder Cups
and be teammates with some of these great guys and try to win
many more."
--Field Level Media
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
