It was good times at the European team’s victorious press conference. Jokes, laughs, and even a few shots at our own Alan Shipnuck. Let’s round it up…
1. Europe’s WhatsApp Group
There was lots made of Europe’s superior team chemistry this week. How did it come to be? Via a team WhatsApp group, apparently. Rory was a late adopter, but even he got sucked in.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think as Thomas just said, the togetherness in the team room all week, we’ve all had this WhatsApp group going for awhile, which has sort of been just one big love-in.
SERGIO GARCÍA: We even managed to get Rory on WhatsApp.
McILROY: I wasn’t on WhatsApp before this week.
ROSE: Tommy Fleetwood scored four points on the WhatsApp group, too.
McILROY: That was a big part of it. We all get along so well. Thorbjørn was a little late to the party. He didn’t sort of chime — he had the mute. He didn’t chime in for a while.
2. Shots at Shipnuck
Our own Alan Shipnuck made a bold prediction that backfired this week. His prediction of U.S. domination never came to be, and the European team didn’t let him forget it.
First, it was Rory…
McILROY: We’ve known each other for a long, long time and we get along well. I think collectively, we all have one question: Where is Alan Shipnuck?
GARCÍA: I don’t know how good a predictor you are.
And then the rest of the team piled in when Alan stepped up to ask a question. The entire team cheered, and then Poulter asked…
IAN POULTER: What was your quote two weeks ago?
The Europeans were happy to see @AlanShipnuck during their victory press conference, who penned an apology…of sorts: https://t.co/N01jDTvgeI pic.twitter.com/dsHDEaDeQy
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) September 30, 2018
3. Molinari’s New Nickname
It’s not just Moliwood anymore…
GARCÍA: His name is not Molinari anymore. It’s Machinari because he’s a machine.
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: I thought it was Moliwood.
4. Wait, There Are 18 holes?
Molinari was in such good form (5-0!) that he didn’t even need to play the final two holes all week, and he had some fun with that afterwards.
MOLINARI: What holes?
GARCÍA: You know this golf course has 18 holes.
MOLINARI: Really? I think I played them on Tuesday.
5. Thomas’ New Tattoo
Captain Bjorn made a deal before the Ryder Cup that he might be regretting now.
McILROY: There could be a visit to a tattoo parlor coming soon for Mr. Bjørn on his head.
ROSE: Plenty of real estate there. (Laughter).
They returned to the subject later on…
BJØRN: Let me put it this way, it’s going to go on a part that only Grace will see. I might have to send them a picture, well, then you’ll all see it as well, I guess. (Laughter) The worst decision I made all week.
GARCÍA: No, it was the best.
POULTER: It was clearly the best.
GARCÍA: Something to fight for, extra.
