I spent the week at Bethpage Black covering this year\u2019s Ryder Cup. It was, at different moments, inspiring, ugly, deafening, silent, raucous, joyous, tense and absolutely thrilling.<\/p>\n
After a day to reflect (and a full night\u2019s sleep!) I flipped back through my notebook. Here are 10 scenes I\u2019ll take with me.<\/p>\n
1. \u201cThere\u2019s only oneeeee Shane Lowry\u201d<\/p>\n
The songs still stuck in my head tell the story.<\/p>\n
Europe will own the soundtrack of the Ryder Cup for the foreseeable future; it\u2019s hard to imagine that advantage flipping unless American golf fans start spending a lot more time in European soccer (or football, choose your own adventure) stadiums. It doesn\u2019t matter that the Ryder Cup only comes along every two years; Team Europe\u2019s fans can launch into song and get full buy-in from the surrounding crowd before they reach the second line. And don\u2019t take my word for it.\u00a0Just ask Justin Thomas:<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, the chants \u2014 I don\u2019t know how the Europeans do it. It\u2019s really impressive, to be honest. I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s like a group text of 10,000 people that they just come up with these things, but they\u2019re pretty awesome and impressive,\u201d he said early in the week. He added this detail:<\/p>\n
\u201cOur daughter\u2019s name is Molly, and the amount of times I had that Tommy Fleetwood chant stuck in my head and both Jill and I have caught ourselves singing \u2018Mol-ly,\u2019 right along to the \u2018Tom-my\u2019 song\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The Tom-my Fleet-wood chant<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a good place to start, with the anthem of the Cup\u2019s highest points-getter, Tommy Fleetwood, whose catchy chant just goes:<\/p>\n
Tom-my.
Tom-my, Tom-my.
Tom-my, Tom-my.
Tom-my, Tom-my FLEET-WOOD.<\/p>\n
And then it goes again. And again. Fans deployed the same chant early and often for the similarly syllabic Ro-ry Mc-Il-roy, though you have to elide his surname a bit.<\/p>\n
Rory McIlroy \u2014 he\u2019s in your head<\/p>\n
Speaking of McIlroy, this was the loudest song (and most layered in meaning \u2014\u00a0he was in everybody\u2019s head). To the tune of the Cranberries\u2019 \u201cZombie\u201d:<\/p>\n
He\u2019s in your heeaaaad
In your heeeeead
Ro-o-ry, Ro-o-ry, Ro-o-ry, ry, ry<\/p>\n
Shane Lowry\u2019s song<\/p>\n
And then there was the emotional heartbeat of the team \u2014\u00a0and the man who retained the Cup:<\/p>\n
There\u2019s only oneeeee Shane Lowry!
Oneeeee Shane Lowry!<\/p>\n
Europe\u2019s on fire\u2026<\/p>\n
Finally there was this now-classic, which echoed around Marco Simone in 2023, to the tune of Gala\u2019s \u2018Freed From Desire\u2019:<\/p>\n
Europe\u2019s on fire
USA is terrified
Europe\u2019s on fire
USA is terrified
Europe\u2019s on fire
USA is terrified
Europe\u2019s on fire
Hoo!
Na na na na na na na na na na na na\u2026<\/p>\n
The song absolutely rips. It has an interesting history; it\u2019s from the 90s but has seen a resurgence in the last decade as an anthem across European football (or soccer) stadiums (and elsewhere) for years, so it\u2019s hardly a Ryder Cup exclusive. But when I went back to read those original lyrics, they seem particularly fitting for this European team\u2019s mindset\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2026my love has got no money
he\u2019s got his strong beliefs
Want more and more
people just want more and more
Freedom and love
what he\u2019s looking for\u2026<\/p>\n
A few more European sing-song highlights, most (all?) of \u2019em borrowed from other stadiums:<\/p>\n
As the first-tee crowd got quiet:
Is this a library<\/p>\n
As Europe built a massive lead:
Caaan we play you
Can we play you
Can we play you every week<\/p>\n
As Europe got five points up:
Shoes offfff
If you\u2019re five points up<\/p>\n
As the Americans started filing out:
Is there a fire drill<\/p>\n
The home crowd, on the other hand, had a few notable misfires, including:
-A series of cringey first-tee chants
-An overreliance on \u201cU-S-A,\u201d which inevitably peters out if there\u2019s nothing really happening
-Their emcee getting booted after chiming in on a round of \u201cf\u2013k you Rory\u201d
-On Friday and Saturday mornings, AFTER the cringey first-tee chants, the first-tee music was cut off for long stretches beginning at 7 a.m. ET to avoid interrupting NBC\u2019s \u2018Breakfast at Bethpage\u2019 show, hosted by Colin Jost, which was airing live off the right side of the tee. This was a bit of a vibe-killer.<\/p>\n
Worth noting: The best first-tee vibes for the home team actually came on Sunday, despite the U.S. team down seven points. The sun was out, the stands were full, the music was blasting. The peak came when Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy came out to the Killers\u2019 Mr. Brightside, which seemed to hit a real sweet spot for the crowd.<\/p>\n
2. The enraged, caged fans<\/p>\n
By now you\u2019ve read and probably watched videos of the Saturday afternoon atmosphere on course, particularly around Rory McIlroy\u2019s group, so you hardly need my confirmation. But here it is anyway: yeah, it was nasty. There are two lines you shouldn\u2019t cross as a golf fan \u2014\u00a0don\u2019t get personal when someone\u2019s family is literally right there and don\u2019t interfere with someone\u2019s actual golf shot \u2014\u00a0and fans raced across both. I joined the McIlroy\/Lowry vs. Thomas\/Young group near the end of the front nine and when I arrived, everyone who\u2019d been walking with them \u2014\u00a0families, vice captains, support staff, media members \u2014\u00a0looked a bit shell-shocked by just how toxic the atmosphere had gotten. Things got marginally better once security presence increased, but it was still a different tenor than anything I\u2019ve heard in the better part of a decade in this job.<\/p>\n
Why was it so bad? I think it\u2019s fair to start with [gestures at the comment section of any post on any form of social media] the general temperature of our cultural discourse and the way we\u2019ve gotten use to talking to each other. But it\u2019s also worth unpacking the mechanics of why this match and this session, specifically. I was a hole ahead of this group at one point and started to understand things a bit more clearly.<\/p>\n
The home team was getting drubbed, so fans didn\u2019t have much to cheer for. There were tens of thousands of fans on course and only four matches, which meant people weren\u2019t able to see much and they were on edge. A segment of those fans had been drinking all day. And McIlroy\u2019s group came through first, which meant that every hole he and Lowry arrived at, they encountered fans frothing at the mouth; they\u2019d been waiting for two hours for this moment and got ready to unleash the nastiest invectives they could think of. McIlroy is the most famous of the Euros and has lived his life in the public eye; he also likes to give it back to the fans as he is, in his words, \u201cquite an impulsive character.\u201d As a result he can end up as both lightning rod and blast shield.<\/p>\n
Rory McIlroy on crowd behaviour at the Ryder Cup:<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf. I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. Golf has the ability to you unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/in1S2HOulx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) September 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Sunday was a far happier scene because none of the above was true. Fans didn\u2019t start drinking early in the morning given the first tee time was at noon, both sides had something cheer for, there were 11 matches on the course instead of just four, Rory McIlroy was third out instead of first, etc. etc. There was still plenty of hostility. But I\u2019m sure there are lessons to take from the mechanics of the matches that could limit the level of toxicity going forward.<\/p>\n 3. The thrown beer<\/p>\n I was standing directly behind the 17th green on Saturday some 20 minutes after that McIlroy \/ Lowry match finished when Rory and his wife Erica came racing back down the hill to cheer on the Euros in the remaining matches \u2014\u00a0and to celebrate with the European fans. One particular group of supporters was in full celebration mode, embracing the fact that, with a day still to go, the Cup was essentially already theirs. (Or so it seemed at the time.) McIlroy dished out a few high-fives to a group of revelers who\u2019d been dancing and singing and then, as he turned away, something happened: a drink came flying from the crowd, ricocheting off the front of Erica\u2019s hat.<\/p>\n It was clearly a jarring moment for Erica and for Rory and for the entire Euro support staff, and with good reason \u2014\u00a0as bad as these personal insults were, \u201cwe\u2019re throwing beers\u201d marks an acceleration to an entirely different level of hostility. To their credit, nobody escalated the scene and they moved on, no doubt disturbed. But here\u2019s the thing, and I\u2019m cautious to even bring it up because I don\u2019t want to be dismissive of the rest of scene: It\u2019s actually still a little tough to tell how intentional this was. I was standing with my coworker James Colgan and we rewatched the video, zoomed, slowed down, over and over. The drink hadn\u2019t technically been thrown; it had been slapped out of somebody\u2019s hand from the middle of that Euro contingent. That leaves us with two possibilities:<\/p>\n a. The beer was hit intentionally in the McIlroys\u2019 direction. This seemed pretty likely in real time and still seems pretty likely given the way it flew directly at them; it would be a strange coincidence for an accidental hit.<\/p>\n b. The beer was launched either by accident or just with excitement but wasn\u2019t intended to fly towards either Erica or Rory.<\/p>\n Which was it? I genuinely have no idea. I don\u2019t want to downplay the fact that somebody appeared to have tossed a beer at a player and\/or his wife. I also think it\u2019s possible it was an unfortunate accident. Does it matter? Yes and no. There was so much other nastiness happening around them that it\u2019s not like this was a make-or-break incident. Still, it\u2019s nice to stick to the truth, where we can. And the truth is that, in this case, I\u2019m not quite sure \u2014\u00a0even standing right there.<\/p>\n 4. Europe\u2019s response<\/p>\n First there was Europe\u2019s on-course response; their play showed that poking the bear isn\u2019t always the right move. McIlroy and Lowry responded by ham-and-egging their way to a fist-pumping, fiery victory, and behind them Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose took it to the high-wattage American duo of Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau in a match that included a near dust-up<\/a> between players and caddies and about a thousand feet of European made putts. They finished the session 3-1 to open up a seven-point lead on the way to singles.<\/p>\n Then there was the off-course response. McIlroy was measured (for once) in his comments post-round when asked if things had gone too far outside the ropes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not for me to say. People can be their own judge of whether they took it too far or not,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m just proud of us for being able to win today with what we had to go through.\u201d<\/p>\n Lowry said he\u2019d embraced it all.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it was intense. It was like something I\u2019ve never experienced. But this is what I live for,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is it. This is, like, honestly, the reason I get up in the morning, for stuff like this. This is what I love doing. I love being a part of this team.\u201d<\/p>\n Rose, too, wanted the focus on the match and the quality of the golf. \u201cYeah, I\u2019m really disappointed that this has to be the talking point at the end of a really cool match. The level of golf was incredible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cVery happy with how strong our team is, the firepower they have, the intensity. It kind of the anti-fragile mentality,\u201d Donald added. \u201cThings got tougher out there, and it fired them up even more. They were able to get better through those difficult moments out there. That is what makes me most proud as a captain, just their ability to take the punches and come back even stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the perfect response. They didn\u2019t cry foul \u2014\u00a0even though they would have been justified in doing so. Instead they focused on themselves and the pride they had in each other.<\/p>\n In the words<\/a> of the slightly less subtle Curt Schilling: \u201cI\u2019m not sure I can think of any scenario more enjoyable than making 55,000 people from New York shut up\u201d.<\/p>\n 5. Scottie\u2019s pick-me-up<\/p>\n It was unfathomable to see World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who\u2019s been winning at an historic clip, start the Ryder Cup 0-4. On Sunday, after he\u2019d picked up a point against Rory McIlroy, he admitted just how tough it had been on him, too. But it was telling to hear how much he\u2019d leaned on his teammates Saturday night to move past it.<\/p>\n \u201cThis week did not go how I anticipated it going for myself, and I\u2019m a little bit bummed, but these guys on this team, they picked me up when I needed it last night, and we\u2019ve got a great team,\u201d he said, choking up after logging his first point on Sunday night.<\/p>\n Scheffler expanded on that answer in the team\u2019s press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t tell you how much I needed these guys this week, and it\u2019s just a really special group,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was probably one of the lowest moments of my career, but it turned out to be one of the most special just because I\u2019ve got great friends in this room and I was really proud to be battling with these guys for three days.\u201d<\/p>\n 6. Xander\u2019s pump-up speech<\/p>\n Enough American players referenced this in their post-round interviews that it must have left an impression.\u00a0On Saturday night, down an historic margin, Keegan Bradley delivered a pump-up speech \u2014 and Xander Schauffele added a clear message: Play to the whistle.<\/p>\n From DeChambeau: \u201cI just thought back to what Xander said: \u2018It\u2019s not over till the whistle blows.\u2019 And I wasn\u2019t willing to give up for this team.\u00a0<\/p>\n From Cameron Young, after his win: We said we\u2019d play to the whistle, and it looks like the guys are doing that now.<\/p>\n From Justin Thomas:<\/p>\n 7. Bryson\u2019s run<\/p>\n As the U.S. began its impossible charge on Sunday afternoon, Young made an inspired birdie putt at 18 to win 1 up, and Thomas made another to also win 1 up, and DeChambeau made a clutch par putt to complete a 5-down comeback. And then, as the rest of the U.S. contingent hopped into golf carts to rejoin the action some holes back, DeChambeau waved off a cart driver and took a full-adrenaline sprint down the length of the par-4 18th. It felt like a release of sorts, a moment of relief after days of tension and disappointment. Now the comeback was on, there was hope in his heart and there was the satisfaction of knowing he\u2019d done what he could to help.<\/p>\n The good news is his run was mostly downhill. But 400-plus yards is a long way to go at full speed, so when DeChambeau hit the uphill back by the 18th tee box, he finally accepted the help from a passing cart.<\/p>\n 8. Viktor\u2019s neck<\/p>\n I\u2019ve seen various viral posts basically implying that Viktor Hovland was faking the injury that kept him out of Sunday singles, some of them joking but some presumably not. Whatever you may think of the Envelope Rule (which at this point probably is antiquated, and also seems particularly silly in this exact situation, when one side needs a massive comeback and every half-point is precious), there\u2019s no way that Viktor Hovland would have voluntarily sat out of a singles match. After all, before he was a last-minute scratch on Saturday afternoon he\u2019d played 13 of a possible 13 sessions in his Ryder Cup career.<\/p>\n Also, Hovland was out supporting Team Europe on Sunday afternoon and a couple times I saw people wish him well and he\u2019d do the thing you do when you\u2019ve messed up your neck where you stiffly turn your entire body just to rotate a few degrees left. Get well soon, Vik.<\/p>\n 9. Erica\u2019s defense<\/p>\n There were countless meaningful moments in the European winner\u2019s press conference, but as always it felt like McIlroy was the main character; he fielded the most questions, his eyes tearing up more than once as he basked in the satisfaction of a sixth Ryder Cup win.<\/p>\n Since the 2023 Ryder Cup McIlroy has made it clear what means the most to him as he nears 20 years as a professional; that short list includes winning at meaningful venues, winning another major (preferably the Masters) winning an away Ryder Cup. This year he won at Pebble Beach and at TPC Sawgrass against big-time PGA Tour fields. He won at Augusta National, completing the career Grand Slam in the process. He added on an emotional win at his home Irish Open. And then he went 3-1-1 at Bethpage Black to win his sixth Ryder Cup.<\/p>\n But it was a particularly touching moment to hear him talk about his wife Erica, given she was the target<\/a> of so much abuse at the hands of the fans. McIlroy plays golf at a superhuman level and he\u2019s been a celebrity for more than half his life, but this was a particularly human moment as he spoke about Erica and his teammates chimed in behind him.<\/p>\n McIlroy: \u201cIt should be off-limits, but obviously it wasn\u2019t this week. Erica is fine. She\u2019s a very, very strong woman. You know, she handled everything this week with class and poise and dignity like she always has. I love her \u2014 and we\u2019re going to have a good time celebrating tonight.<\/p>\n Justin Rose: \u201cCan I just pick up on that, if you don\u2019t mind, because I actually had no idea that Erica had a beer thrown at her yesterday, so fair play to Erica. She didn\u2019t bring that to the team room. We didn\u2019t make that a big deal. That\u2019s news to me. That says a lot about the strength of Erica and everybody on this team.\u201d<\/p>\n Shane Lowry: \u201cI was out there for two days with Erica McIlroy, and the amount of abuse that she received was astonishing and the way she was out there supporting her husband and supporting her team was unbelievable, and kudos to her for that.\u201d<\/p>\n 10. Luke\u2019s shampoo<\/p>\n I\u2019ll start this final point by acknowledging that every point won in this and every Ryder Cup was won by superior golf shots and by fewer strokes taken. There\u2019s no crowd chant that can teach you to stuff an iron shot to five feet under unfathomable pressure. Also, the U.S. absolutely dominated the singles session and nearly pulled off the most improbable comeback in the event\u2019s history. <\/p>\n WITH THAT SAID, it\u2019s hard to look at the decades of European success in this event, particularly the team portions, and wave it away as randomness or nonsense. They\u2019re better at the little stuff. And they\u2019re bought in on the idea that the little stuff is the big stuff. Y\u2019know who believes that? Luke Donald, who Bradley (among others) called the greatest captain the European side has ever seen. Does this somehow mean they make more putts? It\u2019s hard to say for sure but, as silly as it sounds, you certainly can\u2019t dismiss the idea.<\/p>\n \u201cMy job is literally to give these guys a better chance to win. It can be as simple as some very small things,\u201d Donald said. Those small things?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll give you an example. At the hotel rooms this week, the doors to our hotel rooms had a big crack that let in light. We brought things that covered the light. We put different shampoos that had a better smell. We changed the bedding because the beds weren\u2019t very good, and they just had sheets, and we created much nicer beds so guys could sleep. They could have more energy. Those are just little things.\u201d<\/p>\n One final bit of Donald philosophy:<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a big part of my captaincy is to create an environment where these guys are having the best weeks of their lives, honestly. We\u2019ll always remember this.\u201d<\/p>\n Based on the bus rides, I think he\u2019s right\u2026<\/p>\n every time I see a video of this Euro team on their bus it looks like the most fun you could ever have. also \u2018freed from desire\u2019 absolutely ripspic.twitter.com\/yoGc6KojvX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) September 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n “><\/p>\n