Rory McIlroy had another standout showing for Team Europe as they claimed their sixth Ryder Cup win in the past eight meetings against the United States.
While Keegan Bradley was left second-guessing his decisions following the loss, McIlroy and the rest of the European side could take confidence in how they handled things throughout the week.
The mood shifted noticeably as fans grew louder and more hostile, especially during Friday’s four-ball matches, where heckling became hard to ignore.
The noise from US fans didn’t let up all week at Bethpage Black, with McIlroy often finding himself in the middle of it.
Plenty of lines were crossed too. It wasn’t just friendly jeering – some comments directed at McIlroy went well beyond what’s acceptable at any event.
Bizarrely, Bradley defended American fans after his team’s defeat despite several instances where behaviour clearly crossed a line.
The 39-year-old made plenty of missteps during his time as captain but this one stood out among them all.
Taking on that role came with more weight than he seemed ready for. The pressure looked like it got to him at times over the weekend.
Before a ball had even been struck in New York, Keegan Bradley had already been drawn into mind games by McIlroy. And it didn’t take long before those mental battles spilled over into real results on the course once play began.
How McIlroy’s pre-tournament comments got under Bradley’s skin
McIlroy turned up in top form and finished the week with a 3-1-1 record, playing a key role in another European victory.
Team Europe were strong from the start, while Bradley and his team couldn’t get anything going across the opening two days.
Speaking on the Fried Egg Golf Podcast, McIlroy was asked about Bradley’s unexpected appointment and how it affected the American side.
He said: “I think Keegan was put in a tough spot. It came so out of left field that he was offered this job, especially as one of the best players in the world in his prime. It was an impossible position to be put into, especially after winning the Travellers.”
“It was a really tough one for Keegan. It’s easy in hindsight. Could they have used him? Maybe. Who knows?”
“It was a little bit of gamesmanship when I kept saying you can’t do both or whatever. Obviously I am trying to get in their heads and do anything I can to be that person for Europe.
“But at the same time, it was an impossible position to be put in.”
The PGA Tour star continued: “I felt for him. I especially felt for him that week, when we know he was talking about all he wanted to do was be out there and play with the guys.
Rory McIlroy thinks the U.S. needs to change how it approaches the Ryder Cup
Rory McIlroy believes that Europe holds a significant edge over the United States when it comes to preparation for Ryder Cup week.
Speaking on the Fried Egg Podcast, he gave his thoughts on why Europe have found so much success in recent editions of the event.
“I think Team USA are fine,” McIlroy said.
“I just think what Europe have is that maybe we have some in-built advantages with the structure we have with Ryder Cup Europe and the fact we have people who work 24/7 all year on the Ryder Cup and we see these people weekly, if not monthly at European Tour events, and the American team don’t quite have that same structure.
“We feel like we have created this little bit of an in-built advantage. So maybe one day when the USA re-jig that and come up with a similar structure but that’s where we feel organisationally we may be a step ahead.”
The Americans haven’t won away from home since 1993, highlighting how long-standing these issues are becoming for them.
The Americans believe they had everything right at Bethpage Black, pointing to Europe’s superior putting as the main factor behind their loss.
The Americans may look into building a more dedicated team structure around their setup ahead of Adare Manor in Ireland two years from now.
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