When Tiger Woods and team USA descended on Paris two weeks ago, many expected the Americans to throttle the Europeans in the Ryder Cup.
As it turns out, Woods and the Americans were no match for Europe, who trounced Team USA 17 1/2 to 10 1/2. The 14-time major champion went 0-4 over the course of three days, including a Sunday singles loss to young Spaniard Jon Rahm.
Rahm was the better golfer all day and he put Woods out of his misery with a clutch putt on the 17th hole. After the ball found the bottom of the cup, Rahm was flooded with emotion.
Rahm was unable to keep his emotions from overcoming him after defeating the greatest golfer in history, and he detailed his emotions in an interview with Golf.com.
“All year long I was looking forward to the day I was going to play with Tiger Woods, and it didn’t happen until singles at the Ryder Cup,” Rahm said. “It wasn’t the best time, because there’s a lot that comes into play with Tiger, right, a lot of memories I have, as he is one the people I grew up idolizing.”
When Rahm made the match-clinching putt he could no longer contain himself.
“People don’t realize how big a moment it was for me,” Rahm said. “It was the first time I’d ever played with him. And right before I hit that putt someone yelled, ‘Do it for Seve!’ in Spanish. So I was like, ‘whoa.’ As if that putt wasn’t important enough? It wasn’t until I made that putt that the emotion of winning because I was containing myself all day long trying to keep it under control.”
“He was coming towards me with a smile still. I mean, I started crying. I got emotional, tears started coming out of my eyes.” Rahm said. “It meant an incredible moment then and it still does,” he concluded. “It’s going to be tough to beat that moment in my life.”
Rahm, 23, will have many more big moments during the course of his golf career, but none will trump the feeling of beating Woods to help win the Ryder Cup.
