Published: 21:34, 1 Oct 2023Updated: 21:34, 1 Oct 2023
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry led chants of ‘USA is terrified’ as Europe wildly celebrated regaining the Ryder Cup.
The Europeans cruised to a 16½-11½ victory as McIlroy banished the demons of 2021 and finished as the event’s leading point-scorer.
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McIlroy and Lowry enjoyed the moment more than mostCredit: Getty
Lowry played a crucial role both as a player and a cheerleader, delivering one-and-a-half points from three matches, while leading the home crowd’s deafening support in Rome.
The win tasted particularly sweet for the two close friends after they were enraged by USA caddie Joe LaCava on Saturday.
Lowry confronted LaCava for getting in McIlroy’s way before a match-defining putt.
The caddie’s player, Patrick Cantlay, had just holed a putt which would ultimately win the four-ball match and LaCava waved his hat to the crowd in response to abuse aimed at the American golfer.
Later, a video emerged of Lowry bundling a furious McIlroy into a car after the argument escalated in the Marco Simone car park.
McIlroy said the incident added fuel to the fire for his 3&1 singles win over Sam Burns, while Lowry bagged a crucial half-point against Jordan Spieth.
After Saturday’s unsavoury scenes, the two men had no intention of celebrating their victory over the Americans quietly.
Having necked champagne and beer on the 18th green, a video has surfaced of McIlroy and Lowry at the front of the European procession on the team coach.
They belt out their own rendition of ‘Freed From Desire’ – which became famous for Northern Ireland and Wigan’s chant about footballer Will Grigg – as McIlroy showcases the famous trophy.
Fans in Rome chanted ‘Europe’s on fire, USA is terrified’ as the hosts dominated the match on Friday and Saturday.
Speaking about the incident with LaCava after his round on Sunday, McIlroy admitted it inspired him to victory.
“I was hot coming out of that yesterday,” said the Northern Irishman. “Walking off the 18th was probably the angriest I’ve ever been in my career.
“I said it to the US guys I thought it was disgraceful what went on and I made that clear.
“I felt like I used it to my advantage and came out with a different level of focus and determination and in a way it gave the whole team a bit of fire in our bellies.”
He added: “The scoreline [in 2021] – 19-9, that hurt. It really did. I didn’t feel like I gave my best performance and I didn’t feel like I did my part for the team.
“This wasn’t about revenge. This was about redemption and showing what we could do.”
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