ROME (Reuters) -Quotes from European and United States players following their singles matches on Sunday, the final day of the Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, as Europe reclaimed the trophy with a 16-1/2-11-1/2 victory.
EUROPE
Europe captain Luke Donald, speaking to Sky Sports: "I am pretty emotional. It’s been a long process, an amazing journey and I have really enjoyed this one.
"It was stressful as the US put up a fight today so hats off to them. But I am so proud of my 12 guys. We formed a bond from day one and they gave me everything. They trusted me and they delivered for me.
"We started off great, which was what we needed. Then a few matches changed to red. We kept looking at the board and thinking, where will we find 14 and a half points?
"But we always had some guys at the back that looked good so it's not going to be quite as close as I thought it might be.
I can't even speak."
Rory McIlroy after winning 3&1 against Sam Burns:
"I was so disappointed after (the 2021 European defeat in) Whistling Straits. We all were. And we wanted to come here to Rome this year and redeem ourselves a bit. We've got some fresh blood on the team that I think has worked really, really well."
Justin Rose after losing 2&1 to Patrick Cantlay
"It's a cliche but hats off to Patrick. He's tough. Great player. Early in the round, I played pretty nicely but didn't get the putter going. I didn't get the math I can going. He was strong, solid. Gave me nothing."
Jon Rahm on how important was to tie his match against Scottie Scheffler at the last hole.
"Extremely. Extremely. I told myself I wasn't going to look. It's hard not to see the scoreboards, right. I'm sitting looking at my putt and the scoreboards are right in my way. So it's hard not to catch yourself lingering. But I think I did a really good job at the end."
Viktor Hovland asked about a majority European players not seen celebrating their victories much.
"I think we are all just trying to take care of our business. Every single match feels like a sprint but it's still 18 holes ... Maybe that's what guys are doing. They are keeping their heads down and just letting the clubs do the talking."
Tyrrell Hatton after beating Brian Harman 3&2
"Obviously, I lost my last two singles in previous Ryder Cups. Yeah, I really wanted to win the point today. That felt amazing, and you saw my reaction there when the match finished."
Ludvig Aberg on his debut at the Ryder Cup after losing to Brooks Koepka.
"This one is obviously going to sting for a little bit. I feel like I wasn't playing my best but obviously this is a new experience for me, and I really enjoyed my time here in Rome."
Tommy Fleetwood after securing the Ryder Cup for Europe with a 3&1 victory over Rickie Fowler
"Just to be a part of it is the most amazing experience. I’m quite relieved – I was so happy to see that tee shot on 16. Relief, pride, joy and so pleased I’ve been able to be a part of it. Luke (Donald) has been so good this week, he’s on another level and I'm so pleased we could get it done for him".
"They're (the fans) the absolute best, they've carried us on their shoulders. We gave them a lot to cheer about but they pushed us over the line when we needed it."
UNITED STATES
Captain Zach Johnson at press conference:
"This is a moment where you literally just have to accept that the European Team played really, really good golf, and that is really my freshest reflection right now that Luke's team played great and my boys rallied and fought."
"The fans and the people of the home team or whatever are a big part of this. It's the energy. It's kind of like the fuel to the engine, if you will.
"Four years from now, hopefully we'll implement a better process certainly than I did and we can show up in Ireland, obviously retain it, get it back in New York, but keep it once we go back to Ireland."
Patrick Cantlay on the report that he refused to wear his cap in protest at players not being paid at the Ryder Cup:
"It's totally false. It couldn't be further from the truth. There hasn't been one word of that all week. The U.S. Team has been close all week.
"This tournament is all about representing our country and being together with my team mates and representing the U.S., and I'm extremely proud to be here."
Cantlay replying to a question on whether it was true that he did not wear a hat because he was getting married and did not want a tan line on his head: "Well, I am getting married tomorrow, yes. I'm very excited about that."
Scottie Scheffler after he tied his match with Jon Rahm:
"I'm obviously a little upset with how it finished, but I fought pretty hard today. The team needed a full point, and I wasn't able to get that done, which is obviously pretty disappointing."
Scheffler, asked about his tears after the record defeat in Saturday's foursomes: "I was emotional after the round because I care a lot about this tournament. It's one of my favourite tournaments of the year. These team events are tough to beat.
"Like the guys said, this felt like the closest group of guys that we've had. And at the time I felt like I was letting these guys down."
Sam Burns on the Ryder Cup:
"I'd say it's probably the coolest thing in my life on the golf course. Never experienced anything like it. And just wish I could have gotten some more points for our team."
Brooks Koepka on his 3&2 victory over Ludvig Aberg
"I played really good. Pleased with the way I played. I would have liked to have made a few more putts, but Ludvig is a good player. Watched him yesterday and today. So he's solid. He's going to be around for a long time."
Max Homa on his Ryder Cup performance after beating Matt Fitzpatrick.
"I think I just started believing in myself more and more as the week went on. It's just something I typically struggle with, and I honestly think that I'll take what I've learned here with me going further in my career. But I just had so much fun with my team. I love these boys so much. So you just want to do your best and give the team the best chance they've got."
Xander Schauffele after his 3&2 victory to Nicolai Hojgaard:
"I figured I can only control my match and hope that if I could put some red up on the board, it will motivate the guys to push."
Rickie Fowler after losing his match to Tommy Fleetwood:
"Fought, fought today, and I kept hanging around and tried to keep pushing. But ultimately a couple swings on my end that cost me, and Tommy played some pretty solid golf. So we had a good match. Obviously it has to go one way or the other. And proud of all the boys. We fought like hell the last couple days to at least give ourselves a chance after that start."
(Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Ed Osmond)
