1 of 5 | Rory McIlroy kisses the trophy as members of Team Europe celebrate after defeating Team USA to win the 45th Ryder Cup on Sunday at the Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Rory McIlroy says Team Europe "shut a lot of people up" with its string of Ryder Cup victories over Team USA, including its claim to the 2025 throne.
"I mean, the comments and what people were saying after Whistling Straits [2021] about the decades of American dominance, that was -- we took a lot from that," McIlroy told reporters after the 15-13 triumph Sunday at at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. "We let that fuel us."
Before the latest edition of the biennial men's golf tournament, McIlroy said that whichever team ended the streak of losses on home turf would go down as one of the "best teams in Ryder Cup history."
The Americans were favored to win over the weekend, but early struggles, European dominance and a controversial rule denied them of a title. With the win, the Europeans snapped a streak of five-consecutive victories for the tournament host.
