Rory McIlroy’s motivation to put one over on the greatest team ever assembled is all the Northern Irishman needed to get the competitive juices flowing at the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.
A chill morning in Chaska, Minnesota – every bit as cold as it was at Gleneagles two years ago – greeted the first practice yesterday with McIlroy, now an unquestioned team leader, playing with Andy Sullivan, Chris Wood and Sergio Garcia.
McIlroy is fresh from his thunderous finish in Atlanta to grab the Tour championship, FedEx Cup and the cool £7.7million bonus on top of his tournament prize of £1.15million.
He also has his mojo back, teasing the Americans about task forces and captain Davis Love’s rather outlandish claim for his team last week.
“I don’t think it’s hard for us to find motivation,” he said, asked whether it was tough to find the underdog spirit after winning eight of the last 10 Ryder Cups.
“Anywhere you look or listen, the sea of red on the golf course or the comments in the media by the team and the US captain give us so much motivation already.
“Whenever we are going up against one of the greatest teams ever assembled, that’s motivation enough to say, how good would it be to beat a team like that?”
For all the banter Mc-Ilroy knows how difficult it will be for Europe to win four in a row and added: “I’ve followed it all and I’ve had a bit of fun with the task force, greatest team ever assembled and whatever else they’ve been saying, but it’s going to be tough.
“Apart from Gleneagles, it’s always been tough, and we’ve won a couple we maybe shouldn’t have.
“We shouldn’t have won in 2012 at Medinah, that was a steal, grab and go, it was unbelievable how that worked out.
“Even at Celtic Manor in 2010, we only won one session. It’s been a lot closer than people realise, and it’ll be close this year against a great American team.”
McIlroy has no issue with the Americans attempting to manufacture change in their team, but feels they may be in danger of overdoing the determination to bond the players.
He added: “If Europe was in the same position America have been through in the last few Ryder Cups, we’d be searching for answers and doing the same thing.
“We are fortunate we’ve had this blueprint passed down from captain to captain and that’s evolved into a very successful team, but it’s not as though we think about it too much, it’s not rocket science.
“The culture of the European Tour is a little different with players socialising with each other. It’s great the US have been trying to bond a little more, but that’s been a natural fit for us.
“There does come a point when you maybe try a little too hard, instead of it happening naturally.”
McIlroy’s own role has changed in the team from four years ago, when he played as world number one having just won a major, but still did not feel like a senior figure and caused a rumpus in 2009 when he described the match as an exhibition.
“I didn’t feel like it was my place, we had so many players with such great experience in the Ryder Cup and I still didn’t feel like I deserved it,” he recalled.
“I also made a couple of comments before 2010 that seem very stupid now.
“I thought I knew what it would be like from having been to the 2004 and 2006 and Junior Ryder Cups, but I really had no idea.
“At Gleneagles, however, Paul McGinley said he needed me to take on more responsibility and I relished the chance to be one of the leaders and speak up in the team room. I’m ready to do that again.”
He also has a close relationship with captain Darren Clarke, dating from their first meeting on McIlroy’s 10th birthday.
“My present was to play the Valley course at Royal Portrush, I’d also got a new wedge. It was my birthday and the day couldn’t get much better, then I met Darren.
“I was just in awe. He’d just won the WGC match play, was a top 10 player in the world and he was a hero. I was part of his foundation after that and got to know him really well.
“That day has always stuck with me. Now here we are, the biggest stage of the game, and I’m playing under him as Ryder Cup captain. I’m very much looking forward to that.”
