Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry celebrate after winning the Ryder Cup outright, beating the United States 15-13 at Bethpage Black. Photo: Getty
There is always a drop of ennui in the air on the Sunday evening of a big golf tournament. The final putt falls and the circus starts to pack up around you; everyone says goodbye, the theatre of the preceding week now draped in deep, autumnal darkness.
It was like that in Bethpage as we crushed in around the player interview area, or the ‘PIA’ as the Ryder Cup media officials were absolutely determined to call it for the week.