THE RYDER CUP

September 25, 2021

Padraig Harrington

Whistling Straits

Press Conference

Saturday Afternoon Four-balls

JOHN DEVER: Good evening, welcome back to the 43rd Ryder Cup. We are with European captain Pádraig Harrington.

A little surge of energy, especially from the Spaniards, but better play from your troops this afternoon, especially.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, obviously we would have liked to have won the session, eaten into that lead. Six points is a tough one to make up tomorrow, but I think we were a half-point short of that in the Miracle at Medinah on Sunday, so we're just going to have to push for that tomorrow.

Q. You were on 16 when Jon made that putt, and what about the play with Sergio and Jon?

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: That's something, obviously Jon is the world No. 1, and he has delivered on that this week. He's had a great year, major winner. He was very keen all year to be with Sergio, and there's no doubt they have partnered up really well. Sergio, when it comes to The Ryder Cup, it's amazing how he continues to deliver. He ups his game. He finds a way, and you could see that over the last two days.

Q. What's your team's level of confidence and belief as you head into tomorrow?

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm sure they know they have a very tall order ahead of them, but it's still possible.

At the end of the day, as I said at Medinah, it's only half a point more than we won in the singles at Medinah, and just individually -- it's not really that important in the sense of the team. They have to just go out there and win their own individual match. There's nothing more they can do than that. They have to focus on that and not look at that bigger picture and focus on their individual self and play their game and win that and then just see how it adds up.

Q. The crowds have obviously been partisan. Have they been over the top at all?

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I would definitely say the Wisconsin people are really nice. I've got to say we have been well received here. It was interesting; I assumed there would be more Europeans here, not traveling from Europe but from the U.S.

It took a while to get used to the different sounds. Silence is golden when it comes to the Europeans this week. Silence means we've hit a good shot. So that was different. I would say in general, the Wisconsins have been really, really nice, and certainly ahead of my expectations, no doubt about that.

Q. Most of your guys, I'm assuming, if I think back, were not in Medinah for 2012. How much will you draw on that and explain to them what the circumstances were there and how it's possible here?

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: There's no doubt that's going to be very strong on our minds, and look, even reversing it to Brookline. I know that was a four-point gap. These things can be done.

But again, it is more of an individual game tomorrow and getting them to focus on winning their point. Go out there and play their game and win their point. That's the biggest thing they can do to help the team.

Q. Can you speak about Shane Lowry's contribution to the team so far, and you might wonder why he hasn't perhaps played in the foursomes as well; was that a difficult decision?

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: It's a very balanced team. I don't know why anybody would have said -- he played very nicely in the two matches he played, and it's tough to play a lot of people. That's probably the hardest thing in The Ryder Cup in the first two days is mathematically you have to rest eight people Thursday and Friday. Shane was very comfortable with that. He knew how it would golf. Most people either play a foursomes or a four-ball. He's played two four-balls and been very -- he's taken to it like a duck to water. He really has enjoyed the experience.

I'm quite impressed with how well he's handled that side of things. I'm sure he's -- he should have some nerves and pressure, but he's enjoyed it. He's really gone out there and embraced it.

Like I've always said about Shane, he really does seem to be a big-team player for the big occasion, like on 18 there. Played great today. Couldn't be happier with him. Delighted he holed that putt on the last. Certainly every half-point for us is incredibly important.

JOHN DEVER: Thanks for finding some time for us. Sleep fast and one more day.