‘Beers and tears’ for emotional McDowell
McDowell who holed the winning putt at Celtic Manor two years ago admitted that the memory of Seve Ballesteros helped inspire Jose Maria Olazabal’s team to produce a record breaking come from behind victory on American soil in Chicago last night.
Former US Open champion McDowell: “I can’t believe it, I really can’t. We got beaten up by the Americans for the first few days. Then on this very green Saturday we saw Ian Poulter drop a putt for the win.
“He turned things round. On Friday we were down and got the hairdryer treatment from Jose. We had a sense of belief on Saturday.
“I don’t know what it was. Great effort from the boys today. Jose wanted to win it for Seve and we wanted to win it for Jose and Seve. Jose has just been an emotional leader.
“He inspired and he got things right today. We dug deep and we really wanted to win it. We had Seve on our left sleeve today on our shirts. It was great to do it for him. It will be beers and tears tonight. The Ryder Cup is coming back to Europe.
And GMac had no doubts about Martin Kaymer’s nerve when it came to the crucial putt against Steve Stricker which ensured the Europeans retained the most coveted piece of silverware.
“With Kaymer, form is temporary and class is permanent. He’s been quietly confident in the dressing room all week and he’s had a smile on his face.”
Rory McIlroy tweeted in the aftermath: “Wow!!!!!!! Did that just happen!!!!??? Unbelievable performance from all the boys today! Seve..... This one is for you!!”
He then told BBC Radio Five Live: “This feels unbelievable. We knew that America did that to us in 1999 in Brookline. We had to get blue on the board early and the first five guys did that. I played the best I’ve played all week today. We’ve done it for Seve. Jose has been so inspirational in the team room and so emotional. It’s so good we got to do this for him.”
European Vice Captain Darren Clarke said the victory is good for the game of golf.
He reasoned: “We had a wonderful thing on Saturday night. When the guys came in after the matches we got everyone around the table and asked them what order they wanted to play in.
“This was the biggest comeback by a European Team on American soil. I was part of Brookline when we lost (from a position of superiority) so I know how the Americans are feeling.”
“Jose Maria wanted them to go out strong and the guys all played well. I am not surprised we came back because we have quality players.
“This victory is very important for the European Tour. Today we showed why Ryder Cup one of the greatest shows in the world.”
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