Team Europe reclaimed the Ryder Cup in style at Marco Simone, eventually closing out an emphatic 16.5 to 11.5 win after the Sunday singles. However, it wasn’t without its nervy moments for Luke Donald’s men, as their US opponents briefly threatened an improbable comeback on the final day.
One player in the thick of the action was Shane Lowry. The Irishman was up against Jordan Spieth in his match but, in an interview he and teammate Rory McIlroy gave to Paul Kimmage of the Irish Independent, he explained it was far from a straightforward encounter.
The 2019 Open champion said his hopes of an easy path to victory were soon put to one side, despite Europe taking a commanding 10.5 to 5.5 lead into the singles session, with a particular comeback of Europe’s, in 2012 at Medinah, on his mind.
He said: “We were five points clear and needed four points to win and, ideally, we’d do it early and I’d spend Sunday afternoon parading around the golf course like the Pope. But there’s always Medinah.
"I remember sitting in the locker room with Bob [MacIntyre] and Tommy - we were the last three out - and you could sense the elephant in the room. I said, 'Lads! I hope this f****** doesn’t come down to us!' And we started laughing, because we knew it would.”
Sure enough, Lowry soon discovered he wouldn’t have it all his own way. He continued: “When the draw came out on Saturday night, everyone had told me how bad Jordan was driving the ball, and every time he stood on the tee he hit the f****** fairway. I lost the first and was three down through five. I was like, ‘What’s going on here?’”
Meanwhile, McIlroy had a more straightforward time of it against Sam Burns, eventually prevailing 3&1, but the precarious nature of Europe’s grip on the match wasn’t lost on him.
The four-time Major winner said: “Viktor had won, Rosie had lost, and Rahmbo had just got a half. Then things were looking a bit dicey. Tyrrell was only one up on Brian Harman, then there was this big chunk of red. And now Medinah is on your mind.”
Eventually, Lowry began clawing back some control over events against Spieth, and made it all-square heading into the 17th, knowing that winning the next hole would at least halve the match and return the Ryder Cup to Europe. However, even then it was far from plain sailing.
He continued: “I lost the 15th, won the 16th, and we’re all-square. I’m thinking, ‘This is it! Win this hole and we win the Ryder Cup.’ The wind is left-to-right. Tricky. Miss the green right and you’re dead; miss it left and it’s not great either.
"So I stand up and miss it left. F*** sake! And Jordan follows me down there. I putt back up the hill. Jordan hits it outside me. Then we hear the roar for Tommy on the 16th green. It’s over.”
Lowry then explained that, with victory for the team confirmed, he lost focus on the 18th. He said: “I was so happy I was almost shaking walking to the 18th tee. There’s a bathroom there. I went in, closed the door, and just stood there for a moment trying to calm down.
"Darren [Reynolds, his caddie] was at me to stay focused and close out the match. I’d gone one up on the 17th but I carved my tee shot into the rough. I turned around to Darren and said: 'I couldn’t give a f*** where that is.'"
In the end, Lowry halved his match, and the celebrations began. Later, they continued as Lowry memorably led the singing as the bus took the jubilant Team Europe players back to the hotel – a special moment he explained he didn’t want to end, perhaps made all the sweeter after those earlier jitters in his match against Spieth.
He said: “It was the best half-hour I’ve had in a long, long time. I was almost going to tell the driver to keep going, and to drive around Rome a few times."
