It was quite a dramatic first day of the 2016 Ryder Cup. With the Americans whitewashing the Europeans in the morning, Darren Clarke's men needed to come back in the afternoon session with a bang.
And they did. The Europeans won 3-1, with the enduring image of the first day being Rory McIlroy bowing to the hostile Minnesotan crowd.
McIlroy's relationship with the Ryder Cup hasn't always been the best. He used to regard it as a distraction to his individual dominance, but after witnessing Ian Poulter's passion at Medinah - he seems to have taken up Poulter's mantle in the Englishman's absence.
Playing with Thomas Pieters in the final match last night, they won a point for Europe after McIlroy's eagle on the 16th:
Finishing your match Rory McIlroy-style. #TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/hpUCT227Ja
— Ryder Cup Team EUR (@RyderCupEurope) September 30, 2016
McIlroy has explained his actions, saying that he wanted to put "an exclamation point" on that session:
Even before I hit that putt, I wanted to put an exclamation point on that session for us. I honestly thought about that celebration before I hit the putt. It's a hostile environment out there, and I just want everyone to know how much this means to us. We're not going down without a fight.
It’s a hostile environment that the people out there don’t want you to hole a putt; they don’t want you to hit a good shot. So I think when you do hole a putt or hit a good shot, it just makes it that much more satisfying.
I bowed to them and said 'You're welcome for the show.' And we move on.
If the video below doesn't show, it can be seen here.
McIlroy was so caught up in the emotion of his win, that he failed to shake Dustin Johnson's caddie's hand. That seemed to annoy some of the American's, but McIlroy seemed surprised when asked about it afterwards, insisting it was completely unintentional:
I get on really well with AJ and DJ and all the Johnson family. I have to go and apologise to them. I sort of got caught up in the moment. AJ, I would classify him as a good buddy of mine on tour, along with DJ. That definitely wasn't my intention at all, and I'll send him a text or go and find him in the hotel to apologise to him.
