On the walls of Europe’s carefully designed players’ quarters at Bethpage Black were inspirational photographs of winning teams from yesteryear and motivational quotes from legends of the game. Perhaps the most energising of all came from a surprising source, the US captain Keegan Bradley.
“We’re going to go to Bethpage and kick their f****** ass,” he had said in the build-up. Those words were written in giant red and white print on a blue wall in the European living space, with Bradley’s name underneath in attribution. After winning the Cup 15-13 on Sunday, Shane Lowry made sure to take a smiling photo with the quote while holding the trophy.
