PARIS -- There are more songs about Tommy Fleetwood here at the Ryder Cup than you would find in the hymn book at the Notre Dame cathedral.
As Fleetwood stood on the 14th green having just won his fourth straight match alongside Francesco Molinari, he had no chance of completing his first interview without another rendition breaking out. "Fleetwood's on fire, Tiger Woods is terrified, Fleetwood's on fire." And on it goes.
When told they had eclipsed even the great pairing of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal, the two men looked almost embarrassed by the accolade. The spontaneous embrace that followed was heartfelt but underpinned by surprise. Yes, they had just completed their third victory over a team that included Tiger Woods; yes, they had just won their fourth match in two days; and yes, they had just made history by being the only Europeans ever to go 4-0 in team play at a Ryder Cup. But they still looked a little disorientated by their triumph, almost as if it was all a bit of a mistake rather than by design.
Fleetwood was certainly feeling the emotion, the odd tear running down his face as he answered questions on the side of the green, only pausing as songs broke out and Rory McIlroy -- playing alongside Ian Poulter in the next group -- arrived to take his putt. But with Molinari, you never really know. He wore the same expression as when he won his first major at The Open in July: a smile, eyes bright, but still quietly spoken.
Only one other pairing in the competition's history had won all four of their matches, and that was the U.S. double-act Lanny Wadkins and Larry Nelson. The partnership now christened 'MoliWood' stand alongside them. The feat also saw them move beyond three groups of players who had reached the 3½-point mark over two days: Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik (1999), Ballesteros and Olazabal (1989, 1991), and Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam (1987). Fleetwood also made further history, becoming the first European rookie to win his first four matches. Not bad for a bloke who only made his first Masters last year.
The two are an unlikely couple. Fleetwood, with his flowing locks and fist-pumping, squat celebration, alongside Molinari, who would barely bat an eyelid if a jumbo jet suddenly landed on the first tee. But the cocktail works, the two thriving off each other's play to create a slice of history.
On Friday, they dispatched Woods and Patrick Reed 3 and 1 in the four-balls and continued that run of form in the afternoon, seeing off Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas 5 and 4. Saturday morning saw them open up with another win over Woods and Reed.
And then came the afternoon's pièce de résistance as they stormed into a five-hole lead after nine, only to see Woods and Bryson DeChambeau hit back-to-back birdies. They steadied things with their own birdie on the 12th, complete with Fleetwood's now familiar celebration, and secured victory on the 14th. Woods must have been sick of the sight of both men, especially as Molinari was paired with him in the final round of The Open. But here at Le Golf National, theirs was a remarkable feat with friendship at the core.
Molinari's performance coach Dave Alred said the partnership is built on simple foundations. "They are humble. They are tough," he told ESPN. Europe's captain Thomas Bjorn had long weighed up the concept of pairing the two together and was understandably delighted with how it paid off.
"It's a remarkable performance," said Bjorn. "And that pairing came out of long conversations with the two of them, and a relationship they built with each other over a long time. When they both said that they were really keen on that pairing, I started looking at facts and figures and everything that was built around them.
"You know, speaking to the stats guys and vice captains, there was never any red flags with the two of them, so I thought, 'OK, we'll give it a go.' But from there, to do what they have done, is pretty remarkable."
Their chemistry is simple, according to each of them. "He's one of my best friends, not just on Tour but in life. I've been very, very lucky to get partnered with Fran," said Fleetwood.
"It is a combination," said Molinari. "We both like the course, the conditions are great for us. We're really good friends, we like to play together and spend time together, and it worked from the beginning. It's been great, but tomorrow we need to keep doing a good job."
Valentina Molinari embraced Clare Fleetwood in unbeknownst symmetry on the side of the green as their husbands hugged a few feet away on Saturday afternoon. But they all know it will be a footnote in this 42nd Ryder Cup unless their feats steer Europe to overall victory.
Molinari is aware of how quickly the tide can turn in this competition, having been part of the remarkable European comeback at Medinah in 2012, from the same 10-6 scoreline that the U.S. faces on Sunday. "It's been done before. We have done nothing yet," Molinari said. "We've come to do a job, not to go in the record books. Those 4½ points we'll need tomorrow, we will have to fight hard for. It's not going to be easy."
As they were carted back to their team base, the songs continued: "Tommy Fleetwood, he's a golf machine and his hair is just a dream." If Europe seals the victory on Sunday, those fans will be dancing down MoliWood Boulevard.