Rockstar Rory finally gets his Ryder Cup 'redemption'

“Thirty-five years of overachievement, it’s unbelievable,” Rory McIlroy said with a smirk and a shrug in a quiet corner behind the 18th green at Marco Simone Golf Club. “It just keeps happening.”

- JACK RATHBORN

It was a reference to Europe’s recent Ryder Cup dominance in team golf, with yesterday’s dominant victory over the USA the 10th in the last 14 editions. McIlroy was bouncing towards the trophy presentation. A stark difference from his demeanour following Whistling Straits two years ago. Then, there were tears, despite victory over Xander Schauffele in the singles, as the USA completed a crushing victory.

“I just can't wait to get another shot at this,” he remarked at the time. And true to his word, the Northern Irishman and Europe stormed out the gates in each session, securing “redemption” in the process.

"The scoreline [at Whistling Straits], 19-9, that hurt, it really did,” McIlroy insists. “I didn't give my best performance for the team that week. There were a few of us on that team that wanted to come back. Revenge? This wasn't about revenge, this was about redemption.

“This has been a process, a plan in place, we have known months in advance, the gameplan and how to execute, then it comes down to getting on the course and being ourselves, this is the result. It's amazing.”

While Europe can rely on fiery Spaniard Jon Rahm to deliver and Viktor Hovland’s ascent to world No 1 is now just a matter of time, McIlroy is the beating heart of European golf, with all three players topping DataGolf’s strokes-gained rankings this week.

The Ryder Cup allows the best golfers in the world to revel as rockstars for a week, in an otherwise cordial sport, and Europe’s fans danced to McIlroy’s tune.

His fans serenaded him throughout 17 holes against Sam Burns. “No one hits it further, than Rory McIlroy,” thousands of fans in Rome sang. “Ole, ole, ole.”