ON A final day of tense, emotional and exhilarating golf at Valhalla, the United States deservedly won the Ryder Cup 16.5-11.5 for the first time since 1999 yesterday.
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Watch a slideshow of pictures of the final day's play from ValhallaAlthough Europe went into the 37th contest as odds-on favourites, Nick Faldo turned out to be a stubborn, erratic captain whose attention to detail from the sidelines was a pale shadow of the compulsive champion who left no stone unturned as a player.
Winning the Ryder Cup always involves the roll of dice and the respective captains, Faldo and Paul Azinger, gambled on different approaches in yesterday's singles. The Americans packed the top of the order of with their best players in a bid to acquire the five and a half points needed for victory. This was the approach adopted by winning captains such as Sam Torrance and Ben Crenshaw in past matches and the quest for US momentum was reflected in a haul of five and half points from the first eight ties.
Europe, on the other hand, were optimistically relying on the match not being decided until the last four ties, where Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, their top scorer with four points, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington, their most experienced champions, were positioned at the bottom of the order. Of all Faldo's dubious decisions in Kentucky, this risky gambit was the most costly of all.
"We needed to drag them one more game into the guys at the back of the field, but we missed out by one," countered Faldo. "That was a tough one. Everyone did their bit, we were just separated by a fraction. I feel for everyone who has come and made such an effort. I doubt whether I would do it (the captaincy] again, it was probably a one time shot."
As with much else that happened at Valhalla, Faldo's logic was suspect. Harrington and Westwood both struggled and the margin of defeat was Europe's poorest result in the match since being slaughtered at Walton Heath in 1981.
True, there was a period during the middle of the afternoon when Faldo's ploy looked like it could come off if everything went in Europe's favour. In the end, though, it was a massive error not to elevate McDowell, Poulter, Westwood and Harrington into the middle of the order. By the time Europe's strong tail came into play, it was simply too little, too late.
Questions of leadership apart, the main reason the USA won was because they played steadier golf, holed more putts and unearthed fresh characters such as Anthony Kim and Boo Weekley who had no experience of playing on losing teams.
Azinger laid out his side in three banks of four, and it was the middle quartet of Perry, Weekley, Holmes and Furyk, a blend of local men and experienced competitors, who tilted this match in America's favour. "The guys from Kentucky did really well and our 13th man, the crowd, did us proud," said the US captain. "They energised our boys and we played with heart and strength. This team really deserved it."
Fortuitously, the honour of earning the winning point fell to the former US Open champion, Jim Furyk, who had previously played for his country on four losing teams. Two up with two play, Furyk's match-winning putt on the 17th green against Miguel Angel Jimenez was conceded to ensure the party started early.
Home advantage greatly favoured Azinger's men and the USA responded with plenty of hootin', hollerin' and high fives. But this was no Brookline. The atmosphere in Kentucky was exactly what both sides were hoping for: as hushed as a cathedral when the players were over the ball yet as loud as a football stadium after the shots were struck.
The first sentence of the last chapter at the Ryder Cup usually influences what follows, and Kim claimed the first point of the final day by the stunning margin of 5&4 against Garcia, who putted atrociously and failed to win for the first time since his debut in 1999.
The pain ended for the Spaniard on the short 14th and Kim put him out of his misery. Only the youngster didn't realise he'd won and left the green, heading for the next tee, before learning he was victorious. "I thought I had one more to go," he said with a smile. "I can't imagine a better day on a golf course than this."
Having missed a short putt for par on the first hole against Paul Casey, Hunter Mahan took advantage of the Englishman's bogey on the second to level the tie. He followed up with another 3 on the fourth to edge in front. One of captain Faldo's picks, Casey fell two behind after running up another bogey on the fifth before fighting back with birdies on the seventh and ninth.
This was a vital 'swing' match where Mahan regained the lead on the 13th before both players hit their tee shots on the short 14th to a couple of feet and halved the hole in conceded 2s. In a rare show of sporting camaraderie between the teams, Casey and Mahan exchanged high-fives.
A birdie on the 16th earned parity for Casey before Mahan holed in spectacular fashion from 40 feet on the 17th to make a critical move and celebrate extravagantly. If he thought the match was won, he was wrong.
The drama increased on the last when Mahan pushed his tee shot towards the creek and took a penalty drop. His third shot found a greenside bunker. Casey found the green with a brilliant iron shot and made a two putt birdie to halve the match.
Robert Karlsson was the first European to get his nose in front when he made birdie on the fourth against Justin Leonard and increased his lead with a 20 footer on the sixth. More successes on the ninth and tenth meant the Swede was four up after 11 holes. The American's putter wasn't as dependable as usual and Karlsson, who carried on where he left off in Saturday's fourballs, came through by 5&3 to lift Europe's spirits.
Karlsson's countryman, Henrik Stenson, meantime, was faring less well against Perry, the veteran who holed putt after putt over the opening stretch to gain a three-hole advantage which was duly translated into a 3&2 triumph for the local hero.
Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose, meantime, couldn't be separated over the first five holes as the pair traded quality shots. The Englishman sneaked in front on the sixth after the left-hander's 15 footer for birdie horseshoed out. Rose also took advantage of Mickelson's fluffed chip on the seventh and was three up when the left-hander's second at the tenth finished short and right. Although the world No 2 rallied, Rose holed a long putt on the 16th to clinch his point by 4&2. "Phil was a huge scalp," he said. "Defeat is hard to take. I thought the golf course was very suited to the home team."
The most improbable start to any of the ties – indeed, it would be hard to think of a similar moment since the Ryder Cup began in 1927 – came when Boo Weekley mounted his driver and pretend to ride a horse. It was the kind of play-acting you would expect from a five-year-old and drew appreciative roars of "Boo, Boo" from the home gallery.
The 'Boo' fan club was briefly silenced when Oliver Wilson made a tidy birdie on the second. The big man, though, levelled on the third and also won the fifth. Six under par for the opening eight holes, Boo produced a storming display to win 4&2.
Soren Hansen started his singles without his Scottish caddie, John 'Scotchy' Graham, who had to drop out because of a back injury. Fortunately, Garcia had brought two caddies to Louisville and Billy Foster stepped in to shoulder the Dane's bag. Hansen, though, fell victim to the Kentucky factor and was defeated 2&1 by J B Holmes.
Once Furyk dispatched Jimenez, the contest was over and the Ryder Cup was back in American hands.
Timeline of a day that saw hosts come out on top1203 – Amid an electric atmosphere, Sergio Garcia gets the singles under way with a thumping drive down the first as Europe attempt to repeat their comeback from 9-7 down at Oak Hill in 1995.
1404– By the time Padraig Harrington tees off in the final match, the Americans are ahead in eight of the other 11.
1500– Better news for Europe with suddenly both sides ahead in four matches each and the remaining four level, although Garcia is five down with five to play and heading for a heavy defeat.
1510– Anthony Kim seals a 5&4 victory over Garcia and is so charged up he fails to realise the match is over and heads towards the 15th tee. The USA lead 10-7.
1555– Robert Karlsson cruises to a 5&3 victory over Justin Leonard to get Europe's first point of the day and reduce the gap to 10-8.
1604– Hunter Mahan holes a massive putt for birdie on the 17th to go one up on Paul Casey in the crucial second match, evoking memories of Leonard's sensational putt on the 17th at Brookline in 1999.
1615– Justin Rose birdies the 16th to seal a 3&2 victory over Phil Mickelson and make the score 10-9.
1622– Casey birdies the 18th after Mahan drives into the water to claim half a point.
1625– Kenny Perry completes a 3&2 victory over the dogged Henrik Stenson to put the home side two clear and within three points of victory.
1645– Boo Weekley is eight under par in beating Oliver Wilson 4&2 to make the score 12½-9½.
1706– JB Holmes produces a stunning birdie-birdie finish to beat Soren Hansen 2&1 and edge the United States another step nearer to victory, with Jim Furyk two up with two to play against Miguel Angel Jimenez in the match behind.
1718– Jimenez cannot find a birdie on the 17th and Furyk's 2&1 victory seals America's first Ryder Cup victory since 1999.
FACT BOXSINGLES MATCHES (USA first)Anthony Kim bt Sergio Garcia 5 & 4
Justin Leonard lost to Robert Karlsson 5 & 3
Phil Mickelson lost to Justin Rose 3 & 2
Hunter Mahan halved with Paul Casey
Kenny Perry bt Henrik Stenson 3 & 2
Boo Weekley bt Oliver Wilson 4 & 2
J B Holmes bt Soren Hansen 2 & 1
Jim Furyk bt Miguel Angel Jimenez 2 & 1
Steve Stricker lost to Ian Poulter 3 & 2
Stewart Cink lost to Graeme McDowell 2 & 1
Ben Curtis bt Lee Westwood 2 & 1
Chad Campbell bt Padraig Harrington 2 & 1
Singles score: USA 7, Europe 4
FINAL SCORE: USA 16, Europe 11The full article contains 1837 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
