Ryder Cup row left Rory McIlroy experiencing anger he’d never felt

Rory McIlroy has admitted he was the ‘angriest he’s ever been’ on a golf course following his confrontation with caddie Joe LaCava on Saturday after Europe regained the Ryder Cup. Every Ryder Cup throws up a contentious moment with players fully embracing the team atmosphere with tensions at an all-time high.

Those tensions all boiled over in spectacular fashion in Saturday’s final fourball match as McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick battled to save a half against Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark. The Americans erupted into cheer when Cantlay holed a long putt on the 18th with the whole team waving their hats ironically due to the European jeers throughout the day.

LaCava also joined in the celebrations on the green while McIlroy was still lining up his putt to try and save a half. It led to an angry confrontation between the two, with McIlroy’s fury failing to subside when he got in his car to leave the course.

The Northern Irishman ended up using that as fuel as he helped Europe regain the Ryder Cup following their humiliating defeat two years ago in Whistling Straits. McIlroy could smile about the incident with LaCava afterward, but he’s revealed just how angry the situation made him.

“Walking off the 18th yesterday was probably the angriest I’ve ever been in my career,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I said it to the US guys, I thought it was disgraceful what went on and I made that clear.

“But I needed to calm myself down because I could’ve let it sort of bring me down the wrong path and I didn’t. I let it focus me and I read a few quotes from the great Marcus Aurelius, the former emperor of Rome, this morning which sort of put me in the right frame of mind, along with some nice words of encouragement from my wife and I was ready to go today.”

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McIlroy was mainly delighted at being able to enact revenge from years ago when he faltered in Europe’s humiliating defeat in Whistling Straits. There were tears of joy this time from the Northern Irishman though and he feels the current crop of young stars will be hard to stop in the years to come.

“I just wanted to win another point for Europe,” he said. “Ever since Whistling Straits I was so disappointed in my performance there, so to come here and get four points for the team means a lot to me.

“It’s a great bounce back after Whistling Straits. The team we have is incredible. It’s a young team that I think will be around for a long time.”

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