With seven players from the 2021 European Ryder Cup Team suiting up in Rome, including four rookies, this year is a changing of a guard for Team Europe.
A five-point, 10½-5½ lead going into Sunday singles didn't seem a likely outcome with so many new faces. However, with Rory McIlroy as their veteran leader, those on-paper disadvantages can all be wiped away. The seven-time Team Europe Ryder Cup member set a crucial tone this week by delivering one of his best-ever performances with victories in his first three team matches through four sessions, leading Europe going into Sunday singles.
"I think they get more special as you go on because you realise you don't have that many left," McIlroy said. "Hopefully I have a few Ryder Cups left in me."
If there was any residue from the 34-year-old's dispiriting 1-3 performance during the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, the only time he did not play five sessions in his career, McIlroy quickly erased any doubt during his opening foursomes match at Marco Simone.
Standing on the par-3 17th 1 UP with two holes to play, the Irishman stared down the pin from 191 yards out before firing an absolute dart to near concession range for birdie to secure his first point of the week with a 2&1 victory as part of Team Europe's first-ever 4-0 session.
In the afternoon, McIlroy served as a security blanket while Matt Fitzpatrick blitzed the front nine of Marco Simone during their opening four-ball session. But while Colin Morikawa and Xander Schauffle started the smoldering of a comeback, cutting a 6 DOWN deficit to 4 DOWN on the 14th, McIlroy doused the U.S. Team's hopes of salvaging any points with a birdie to end the match and help secure a historic 6½-1½ first day lead.
But, as a veteran should, he helped keep the bigger picture goal in perspective Friday evening.
"Last night we talked about enjoying what we did yesterday but coming out and showing no mercy today," McIlroy said after Saturday morning foursomes. "Obviously the way Ludvig and Viktor started off and the way we started off, you know, that set the tone for the day again."
That message resonated with both of Team Europe's opening two foursomes matches winning their first three holes, fueling Viktor Holland and Ludvig Åberg's trouncing 9&7 victory. McIlroy played the stopper late yet again during the morning foursomes session, as he won the 17th with a 12-foot par putt to secure his second 2&1 victory of the week. It's the first time in McIlroy's career he won his first three team sessions at a Ryder Cup.
The momentum continued as McIlroy played in his fourth consecutive session, delivering a six-under-par performance during four-ball Saturday evening. McIlroy's score counted for 15 of Team Europe's 18 holes.
While his hopes of a perfect week were ripped away by Patrick Cantlay's three-straight birdies on numbers 16 through 18 to win the final match 1 UP, McIlroy's leadership extended beyond the scorecard. He pushed back against Cantlay's caddie Joe LaCava's hat tip to the crowd while getting in the way of him and Fitzpatrick's efforts to read their potential tying birdie putts. McIlroy shared his displeasure afterward.
"Listen, we're all competitors. We all want to win, but we want to do it in the right way," Europe Captain Luke Donald said. "You know, from what Rory told me, he did ask Joe to move. He took a long time to move. It was a little off-putting because he still had to putt. And so Rory got upset, and I understand that."
Said McIlroy: "I mean, a few scenes there on 18 and just fuel for the fire tomorrow."
Donald added that there was no question his players would rally around their brightest star.
"We are a big family this week," Donald said. "We support each other."
With one more day between McIlroy and his fifth career Ryder Cup victory, Sunday's singles presents an opportunity for another first for the Irishman. A win would be McIlroy's fourth point of the week, more than he has ever scored at a Ryder Cup.
With the veteran going out fourth Sunday morning, that victory could become the clinching point for Team Europe, a fitting end for one of McIlroy's best-ever Ryder Cup performances.
