At Bethpage, the blood and thunder of Offaly came to the fore
Shane Lowry steps up when it counted as Europe seal Ryder Cup victory on US soil.
What a weekend of Ryder Cup golf action and an utter washing machine of emotions. After a spectacular Friday and Saturday for the European contingent, not many would’ve called that Sunday would become so arse-clenchingly tight that it would call upon a weathered but determined Offaly man to save the day.
Yet that’s what transpired. As the USA clawed themselves out of a deep 11.5 v 4.5 hole on Sunday morning to give them some hope of a turnaround for the ages, in the cacophony of American abuse and high emotions over the previous two days, the European team wilted fast.
Although his match-clinching half point was followed by a couple of more to put a cherry on matters, it was Offaly’s Shane Lowry who stood steadfast against the American tide as the tension vice-gripped around Bethpage and the Europeans forgot how to putt after a weekend ‘til then of sinking everything in sight.
Maybe they were thinking about sinking a different kind of cup, as the Sunday calamity paved way for Lowry to prove his worth after a tough couple of years of underperformance and an increased tetchiness that had left some fans a bit cold towards the boisterous Irishman.
But, as he kept his composure to seal the blue side of the scoreboard, proceeding to leap about the 18th green and output groans of relief and pleasure that wouldn’t be out of place in a bedroom, it was Lowry that cemented his legacy as a Ryder Cup hero, creating imagery and scenes that will furnish highlight reels for years to come.
Of course up until then it had been a grimly difficult weekend for Lowry and his compatriot Rory McIlroy. A barrage of bottom of the barrel “banter” was thrown at the players, which included various homophobic slurs and disparaging comments about their wives and families, and it was the Irish pair who bore the full brunt of the American fandom that had been foreseen coming into Bethpage, but crossed all sorts of lines and culminated in several patrons being removed from the course at the behest of Lowry and McIlroy.
The scenes were truly ugly and tinged an otherwise incredible weekend of golf, granted the course layout left a huge amount to be desired and quickly became one-dimensional to the television viewer.
But you can’t begrudge the visceral outpouring of emotion from Lowry, having roared “fuck you, fuck you!” at fans during his foursome session with McIlroy on the Saturday, having sealed the European fate and condemned America to a home defeat, albeit with a slightly less embarrassing scoreboard than expected.
In an interview with broadcasters after finishing his singles round with Russell Henley, Lowry told Darren Reynolds that “I have the chance to do the coolest thing of my life here,” in a refreshingly positive outlook on matters as the tension mounted across the course. As European players froze or withered down the back nine, it was Lowry, one of the most outspokenly emotive players across either team, stayed the course and clawed back a 2-up scoreline to seal an incredible tie and half point, getting Europe to the all important 14 points.
Finally, the stress lifted in New York and Europe could celebrate. Luke Donald wins his second Ryder Cup as captain and across both banks of the divide is now widely hailed as one of the greatest ever to take on the mantle, proving the strategy of leaving no stone unturned is an optimal approach for success, in the face of Keegan Bradley who baffled statistic gurus with some selections, albeit his Ryder Cup preparation included his own play and until recently, the matter on whether or not he’d be teeing off himself.
As the horizon turns for Adare, Co. Limerick, whoever is in the European hotseat has a three-peat within their reach and an American team in dire need of unity and a cohesive plan from the top down decision makers through to the guys hacking across the fairways. It may need a Scottie Scheffler to align their focus or a Tiger Woods to emerge and reprioritise where US golf sets its ambitions. Does it involve dragging together 12 individuals every two years like a withered Sunday League football manager, hoping for the best, or is there a plan to shed individual differences, rivalries and financial interests for true and authentic sporting gratification?
Because whatever elixir Europe have found, it’s working. These players want to represent not just their side of the Atlantic ocean, but their teammates and comrades in arms who put so much time and effort into the bi-annual event. They take it seriously and revel in the spoils with each other, arm in arm, like a true sporting fraternity.
Until America can get it together, moments like Shane Lowry’s on Sunday, a scene he will treasure for the rest of his life, will proffer up the intangibles that make Europe such a ferocious beast and a united front in this silly old game, but Sunday’s struggles in the singles format suggests there are chinks in the armour that can be pulled from. American know that they have to derive those intangibles from somewhere, the things that allow for unlikely heroes to emerge from deep within, and that is something that can’t always be manufactured or bought.
Next stop, Adare Manor.