Shane Lowry has shared a photo with the Ryder Cup beneath a quotation from Keegan Bradley that certainly has not stood the test of time well. The American captain was confident about his team’s prospects against Europe at Bethpage.
The visiting side, nevertheless, became the first team to triumph away from home for more than 10 years, stretching back to 2012. Europe prevailed 15-13 ultimately, with Shane Lowry securing the crucial half point they needed to keep hold of their trophy from two years previously.
They held a commanding 12-5 advantage before Sunday’s singles commenced after claiming victory in the opening four sessions of foursomes and four-ball. The United States rallied during the singles matches, but Europe earned enough points to cross the finishing line, with Tyrrell Hatton’s half point in the tenth match securing them an outright triumph.
Lowry has characterised their victory as a childhood ambition in two social media posts. Accompanying one is an image of the Irishman clutching the Ryder Cup trophy underneath a quotation from Bradley displayed on a wall at the venue.
“We are going to go to Bethpage to kick their f***ing a**,” it states, credited to the American captain. The notorious quotation originates from mid-February and the seventh and concluding episode of the third series of the Netflix documentary programme ‘Full Swing’.
Bradley delivered the comment within the American team quarters following their victory in last September’s Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal. It marked the conclusion of a speech that began with a particularly prophetic statement.
“I’m gonna get criticised as the captain next year,” began Bradley. “They’re gonna underestimate me. They’re going to doubt me.
“I’ve been doubted my whole f***ing life,” he continued. “That’s when I do my best work,” before boldly declaring: “We are gonna go to Bethpage to kick their f***ing a**.”
Despite their efforts, they fell short but certainly gave Europe a run for their money, as Lowry admitted after his Sunday singles match. “I’ve been so lucky to experience amazing things in this game,” Lowry confessed to Sky Sports. “That was the hardest couple of hours of my life.
“Honestly, I just can’t believe it. I can’t believe that putt went in. I was just stood over it thinking, ‘Well, this is it.’ I said to Darren [Reynolds, Lowry’s caddie], walking down to 18, ‘I have the chance to do the coolest thing in my life here.’
“The Ryder Cup means everything to me, honestly. I won The Open in Ireland, it’s amazing, it’s a dream come true, but the Ryder Cup for me is everything. To do that there today in front of everyone, it’s like… it was so hard out there. I mean, fair play to the US lads, like, we knew they were going to come out fighting.”
