There was a time when Rory McIlroy wanted to have little to do with the Ryder Cup. Twelve years ago, he called it “a great spectacle, but an exhibition at the end of the day. And it should be there to be enjoyed. In the big scheme of things, it’s not that important to me.” At the time, he was projected to be Europe’s foundation for the 2010 staging of the biennial event — a would-be rookie just two years removed from his professional debut. That said, he had already been flexing his muscles enough to underscore his potential. And by the end of the year, he had jumped 30 spots to ninth in world rankings.
Fast forward to Monday, and McIlroy could not have exhibited a more contrasting viewpoint. That he did so while on the losing end of the most lopsided result in Ryder Cup history speaks to the gravity of his sentiments. “I should have done more for them this week,” he said, lamenting his 1-3-0 slate. It was far from adequate on paper, and made even more untenable in the face of Europe’s inability to put up points on the board, let alone keep pace. And as he struggled to hold back tears during his interview, he could not help, but note that, “The more I play in this event, I realize it’s that it’s the best event in golf. I love being a part of it. I can’t wait to be part of many more.”
McIlroy added that none of his individual accomplishments — not his four major titles, not his Players Championship trophy, not his three World Golf Championship victories — had him as invested in both the experience and the outcome as the Ryder Cup. If nothing else, the premier team-based competition in the sport proves the oft-cited quote “Success is a journey, not a destination” and, just as importantly, the other extreme. Failure hits hard in any case, but hardest in the context of a shared endeavor. Pressure is amplified — and the need to perform up to par becomes more pronounced — when the contribution, or lack thereof, is counted, and counted on, by all.
Little wonder, then, that McIlroy was moved to profess his love of and for the Ryder Cup at a time when he was most down. “I don’t think there’s any greater privilege to be a part of one of these teams, European or American. It’s an absolute privilege,” he noted, enumerating the accomplishments of his teammates through the years. “I’ve gotten to do this six times. They have always been my greatest experiences of my career,” he disclosed. “It’s phenomenal and I’m so happy to be a part of it. As I said, I’m disappointed that I didn’t contribute more this week, but you know, in two years’ time, we’ll go again and try to give it another go again.” Enough said.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.