MEDINAH (USA): Europe buried the memory of that American comeback at Brookline in 1999 with one that was even better.
Medinah was filled with sheer madness on Sunday, the matches so close for so much of the day that even when Martin Kaymer stood over a 6-foot par putt on the 18th hole to clinch it, the Ryder Cup was up in air.
The putt was pure and the celebration was on.
”It will go down in the history books of the Ryder Cup,” said European captain Jose Maria Olazabal.
The size of the comeback was equal to what the Americans pulled off at The Country Club, but at least they had help from endless cheers of the home crowd. Not many gave Europe much of a chance until Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia turned what looked to be certain losses into improbable wins, filling the scoreboard with European blue.
”What you did out there today was outstanding,” Olazabal told his team at the closing ceremony.
Then, Olazabal bowed his head and closed his eyes as they filled with tears, and the European fans sensed what was coming next.
He didn’t have to say a word. They said it for him.
”Seve, Seve, Seve,” they began to chant.
Seve Ballesteros.
The Americans were simply stunned.
Three times they came to the 17th hole with a chance to win a match, only for Europe to deliver the key shots that win the Ryder Cup. Ian Poulter won the last two holes, and so did Rose, a birdie-birdie finish to beat Phil Mickelson. Garcia won the last two holes with pars to beat Jim Furyk.
Tiger Woods wound up missing a 3 1/2-foot par putt and conceded a par to the Italian Francesco Molinari from the same distance to halve their match. That extra half-point made it a clear-cut win for Europe, 14 1/2-13 1/2. Woods and Steve Stricker, the anchors in the lineup, didn’t win a single match at Medinah.
Poulter was the first to embrace Olazabal, which was only fitting.
Poulter was up to his fist-pumping, eye-bulging tricks again on the final day, winning the last two holes in his match against U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson.
Six of the 12 matches went to the 18th hole on Sunday. The Americans won only one of them.
”Today was certainly not what we expect,” US captain Davis Love III said. ”We’re all kind of stunned.” (AP)