‘What is the optimal environment for you to thrive in?” is the first question Owen Eastwood asked the European Ryder Cup team 12 months ago. After their victory on the greens of the Marco Simone Club in Rome, the players told a different story than the ones traditionally heard from sporting winners, reflecting the impact the performance coach had.
Rory McIlroy described how “we sat around the firepit, we chatted and got to know each other really well and that was an amazing experience. I thought I knew them for a long time – but I got to know something different about them and I think that really galvanised us as a team … we feel like we can be ourselves.” Justin Rose expressed his motivation when “representing something bigger than yourself”. And Luke Donald, Europe’s quiet, humble captain, carefully positioned the team within the bigger history of the Ryder Cup.
