Europe’s Ryder Cup gamers have revealed how changing into “weak” with one another throughout a “hearth chat” helped spark their triumph in Rome.
Captain Luke Donald took his complete aspect to Marco Simone Golf Membership for a apply session in September 2023, a day earlier than all 12 gamers travelled to Wentworth forward of competing within the BMW PGA Championship.
The transfer paid off handsomely with Europe regaining the Ryder Cup in emphatic vogue and a behind-the-scenes story of that triumph is ready to be revealed in a brand new documentary being launched on December 3.
FIRESIDE CHAT
“We had a terrific hearth chat the place we opened up collectively as a staff. It actually created this wonderful sense of togetherness,” Donald says within the 90-minute movie.
Rory McIlroy, who broke down in tears after successful his singles match within the crushing defeat at Whistling Straits in 2021, provides: “Taking part in the golf course and seeing Marco Simone was nice, however the magic of that journey was what occurred on both aspect of the golf.
“Folks grew to become weak and instructed their story, and I feel that led others to open up in methods we’ve in all probability by no means opened up to one another.”
Spain’s Jon Rahm echoes McIlroy’s sentiments, including: “If you see nice gamers, who’ve had the success they’ve had, be weak with one another like that, I feel it creates a bond and a way of safety that you would be able to’t replicate.”
CADDIE FALLOUT
Rahm made a shock transfer to LIV Golf just a few months after taking part in his half in Europe’s victory and Donald admits within the documentary that he views the Ryder Cup as “an antidote” to the acrimonious break up in males’s skilled golf.
McIlroy additionally speaks about his fallout with Patrick Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava, which got here after Cantlay and Wyndham Clark had fought again to beat McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick on the 18th within the second day’s fourballs.
“As quickly as I noticed anybody with an American jersey, I went after them,” McIlroy stated of shedding his cool within the automotive park following the day’s play.
“Not my proudest second, however I felt like what occurred on the 18th inexperienced after which spilled over to the automotive park nearly made us really feel we had been prepared greater than ever to exit on the Sunday to all win our factors and get the Ryder Cup again.”
The documentary, entitled Una Famiglia, shall be launched on Tuesday, December 3 on the Ryder Cup YouTube channel.