Ryder Cup: We pick out the best quotes from Team USA after they regained the trophy
Monday 3 October 2016 01:53, UK
Team USA recaptured the Ryder Cup, ripping Europe 17-11 for their most decisive triumph since 1981 in the biennial team showdown. We pick out the best quotes of the day...
Darren Clarke's side needed to overturn a three-point deficit in Sunday's 12 singles matches at Hazeltine to claim an unprecedented fourth straight win.
But although they won three of the first five matches convincingly wins for Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Brandt Snedeker and Ryan Moore took the home side over the winning line.
The final score of 17-11 was the biggest winning margin for the United States since a nine-point success at Walton Heath in 1981.
Here, we pick out the best quotes from the final day in Minnesota.
The victory was sweet for US captain Davis Love:
"We have been criticised for eight to 10 years for not coming together," Love said. "Phil Mickelson, Bubba (Watson), everyone who played on the team and who didn't play on the team showed we all had a heart and could pull together.
"2012 was a great team and we played our hearts out but this is a different 12 and I am super proud of them. We all pulled together for this one."
Tiger Woods said he could not have been happier to be involved:
"We were a team. Whether I was playing or not, I was part of a team. And our team won."
Bubba Watson has two green jackets and is ranked No. 7 in the world. For him, none of that compares to winning the Ryder Cup. And Watson didn't even play.
"This is the greatest thing I've done in golf," the vice captain said. "I'm so happy for this team. This team was amazing. They took me in their arms and let me be a part of it."
Patrick Reed wanted to beat the Europeans at their best:
"I consider everybody, whether it's the European side, captains, vice captains ... a big Ryder Cup family," Reed said.
"We want to beat them at their best," he said, "and they want to beat us at our best."
Reed on beating three-time major winner Rory McIlroy in the critical opening match:
"I knew today was going to be tough, going against a guy like Rory, especially how he was playing earlier this week," Reed said. "To come out and play as well as we both did, especially on that front nine, was definitely something fun to be part of. "Pretty sure," he added a moment later, "it was fun to watch, too."
Ryan Moore came away with one of the biggest honours when he secured the decisive point for USA:
"This is unbelievable right now, to actually get the point that clinched it for us. Obviously we had some great play going on behind me. I was able to relax and play those last couple of holes ... sneak a win out there.
"I wanted to do everything I could and try to hit a couple of great shots coming in. Was able to eagle 16, which was huge. That birdie on 17 and then to win with the par on the last hole, it's incredible."
