Rory McIlroy reacts to Ryder Cup win

Rory McIlroy stood with a smile that said it all: Europe had held off the storm.

The Ryder Cup ended 15-13, but the scoreline hardly told the full story of a week in golf that began in a blaze of blue and ended in a surge of red. From day one, Europe established a grip on the contest, building a commanding lead that seemed to drown out even the most hostile chants from the New York galleries.

By Saturday night, the Americans looked battered, yet Sunday brought a revival — a charge that rattled nerves and momentarily made the impossible feel within reach. McIlroy, though, insisted that it wasn’t the crowd, nor the noise, that defined Europe’s response. Instead, he pointed to something deeper, a force that carried them through the turbulence and ensured that, when the final putt dropped, it was Europe raising the cup once again.

Rory McIlroy Reveals Europe’s Real Motivation to Lift Ryder Cup Again

“I’m extremely proud to be a part of this team,” McIlroy said when on the 18th green, moments after his friend Shane Lowry sealed Europe’s retention of the Ryder Cup trophy. “I’m extremely proud of every single one of the players, the VCs, the captain, all the backroom and support staff. This was an unbelievable collective effort.”

Despite the crowd, there was a greater motivating force for McIlroy his Europe’s players. “As soon as we won in Rome we turned our attention to something everyone thought was pretty impossible. Not only winning in America, but winning in New York. It’s just been an amazing week.

McIlroy hailed Luke Donald’s leadership, describing him as “absolutely amazing” and giving credit to the continuity from last year’s team. “Eleven of the 12 players from Rome came back. We knew what we needed to do,” he said. “We got so lucky in getting an incredible leader in Luke Donald, he shepherded us through this whole process.”

The four-time major winner closed with a promise: “We’re going to celebrate like there is no tomorrow.”