Rory McIlroy endured Ryder Cup nightmare with police escort and late arrival

The ‘Miracle at Medinah’ has gone down in sporting folklore as probably the most dramatic comebacks of all time and definitely the best in Ryder Cup historical past. But the epic 2012 triumph practically did not occur in any respect, due to Rory McIlroy’s time-keeping. The United States held a seemingly unassailable 10-6 lead heading into the ultimate day and solely wanted 4 and a half factors to regain the trophy from Europe.

The customer’s captain, José María Olazábal, knew that it was very important that his staff obtained factors on the board early in the event that they have been to have any likelihood of salvaging their hopes of retaining the cup on American soil, so it was no shock when the Spaniard named world No. 1 McIlory on one in all his early tee occasions.

The Northern Irishman was all the way down to face Keegan Bradley within the third match of the day, with a scheduled tee time of 11.25am. But there was only one downside, McIlory had seen his tee time, which was printed in America’s Eastern Time Zone. But the occasion was being staged on the American Central Time Zone, which is an hour behind. The confusion led McIlory to consider that he was teeing off at 12.25pm as an alternative of his precise time an hour earlier.

As he ready to depart his lodge room, the four-time Major winner acquired a name asking the place he was as a result of he was on account of tee off in 25 minutes time.

A now barely rattled McIlroy rapidly made his solution to the foyer. His lodge was solely quarter-hour away from the Medinah Country Club, however with 40,000 followers in attendance truly attending to the course was already going to be a tall order.

Fortunately for the world’s No. 1 golfer, he had a police escort readily available to get him by the bulging visitors. Lombard Police Department’s Deputy Chief Pat Rollins threw him within the entrance of the automobile and raced him as much as the course.

The penalties of a participant lacking their tee time might have proved deadly for both staff. The guidelines of the competitors said that if a participant was two minutes late then they might lose the primary gap and in the event that they have been greater than 5 minutes late they might lose the match.

McIlory arrived on the course 10 minutes earlier than he was due on the primary tee field and solely had time to take just a few observe putts earlier than he was introduced face-to-face with Bradley. He did not even have time to do any observe swings away from the hoards of spectators, who greeted him with shouts of “wakey wakey” and “how’s your hangover?”

Despite the drama, the Northern Irishman extremely took all of it in his stride and went on to beat his American opponent two and one.

Remarkably, Europe received the entire first 5 singles matches, wiping out the USA’s benefit earlier than Martin Kaymer held his nerve to beat Steve Stricker and clinch probably the most unlikely Ryder Cup victories 14 1/2-13 1/2.

Now capable of chill out, McIlroy clarify what had occurred previous to his match. He mentioned: “I thought I was off at 12.25pm instead of 11.25am and was casually making my way out of the hotel room door, and I got a call saying you have 25 minutes till tee off.

“I used to be a bit frightened then. But as quickly as I obtained to the course I used to be fantastic and settled into the match and clearly delighted to win. I learn the tee occasions on my cellphone, and they’re clearly on Eastern time and it is Central time right here. So an hour again, so [it’s just] a kind of issues.

“It’s my own fault, but if I let down these 11 other boys and vice-captains and captains this week I would never forgive myself. I was with a policeman, getting through traffic. I got here with about 10 minutes to spare, put my shoes on, a couple of putts, just your average sort of warm-up back at the course.”

McIlroy will seemingly have an enormous say within the vacation spot of the Ryder Cup later this month when the European Team attempt to win the trophy again from the USA in Italy, simply so long as he can bear in mind which period zone he is in.