ROME, ITALY | There were two triumvirates in ancient Rome, and last week modern Rome recognised a third in the shape of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland.
Each one of the trio had headed into the week among the top four in the world rankings, but they were all too aware of the tough questions that needed answering ahead of, and during, the continent’s quest to regain the Ryder Cup.
It was not just that two years ago at Whistling Straits, Europe was routed as a collective by 10 points. McIlroy was left in tears after failing to win a point until the singles; Hovland played five times as a rookie but reaped only two half-points; and, while Rahm was the continent’s top scorer, three of his wins came in combination with Spanish countryman Sergio García, who was persona non grata in Rome.
Their response? It was reminiscent of Julius Caesar, a member of the First Triumvirate, who cried: “Veni, vidi, vici.” (I came, I saw, I conquered.)
That said, it transpired that McIlroy, whose three points from four matches on Friday and Saturday had helped build Europe’s dominant five-point lead entering singles play, had turned to the meditations of Marcus Aurelius on Sunday morning.
A regular student of Stoicism, the Northern Irishman explained after Europe’s victory: “I thought as he was a former emperor of Rome, and seeing that we are in Rome, it would be a good time to revisit some of his thoughts on the way to the course today.”
A 3-and-1 victory over Sam Burns followed, confirming McIlroy as the week’s top points scorer and completing a thorough transformation from his post-Whistling Straits state of mind.
“That score line, 19-9, that hurt, that sucks; it really did,” he said. “Personally, I didn’t feel like I gave my best, and I didn’t feel like I did my part for the team. So, this [performance] means an awful lot.
“People asked at the start of the week if we wanted revenge on the U.S., and this wasn’t about revenge. This was about redemption and showing what we could do.”
McIlroy was not alone in playing better this year or, indeed, in playing all five sessions.
Hovland won 3½ points in five matches, and he thrived magnificently with Swedish rookie Ludvig Åberg. The won both of their foursomes matches, the second 9-and-7 against World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and five-time major champion Brooks Koepka.
The months of hard work by the Norwegian in honing his short game already improved his individual performances, helping him win the 2023 FedEx Cup, and it carried over to this week.
“Throughout the year, I’ve felt like I’m a lot more accomplished,” he said. “Even if I don’t have my ‘A’ game or I don’t hit it as well as I would like, I still feel like I can win or get up-and-down from a terrible spot.
“It’s not like, oh, I have to be in the perfect spot to have a chance to win the match. There’s a belief and a confidence that I can get myself out of any situation, and I think that's a huge turnaround from last time.”
Rahm had no compatriot to team up with this week, but he was unbeaten with two wins and two half-points, and the tally does not quite measure the impact he had on the match.
“Us Spaniards have a legacy to live up to, and it’s certainly not easy, right? The three main figures before me – Seve, Ollie and Sergío – are three guys who really inspire me.”
Jon Rahm
On Friday evening, he made eagles at the par-4 16th and par-5 18th holes to force a half-point in the four-balls that helped withstand an American fight back.
He later revealed that before draining the dramatic putt at the last, his partner Nicolai Højgaard had asked, “What would Seve do? Do it for Seve.”
Meanwhile, the presence of José Maria Olazábal in the team room had proved vital.
“Us Spaniards have a legacy to live up to, and it’s certainly not easy, right?” Rahm said. “The three main figures before me – Seve, Ollie and Sergío – are three guys who really inspire me. José always tells me little things to motivate me. Following in their footsteps and how they try to make the team better is the way I’ve approached it.”
Although only 34 years old, McIlroy revealed he has been considering the future.
“This is my seventh Ryder Cup, and am I going to play in another seven? I don’t know. I’m probably on the back nine of my Ryder Cup career, and every one that I get to play in from now on is very, very meaningful.”
When it was noted that eight of the last nine matches have been won by the home team, he concluded: “I’ve said this for the last probably six or seven years to anyone that will listen: I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup.”
And then, with a proclamation worthy of any emperor, he added: “And that’s what we’re going to do at Bethpage [in 2025].”
SCORING
Matt Cooper