Graeme McDowell showed all the nerve that won him the US Open earlier this year as he claimed the vital point to help Europe regain the Ryder Cup on a pulsating final day at Celtic Manor today.
As if Ireland didn’t have enough Ryder Cup heroes already, the Portrush native added his name to the list amid amazing scenes in the Welsh valleys.
Following in the famous footsteps of Eamonn Darcy, Christy O’Connor, Philip Walton and Paul McGinley, the 31-year-old won back the trophy for Europe when everything depended on him.
If McDowell thought he had faced the ultimate test of character when he won his first major at Pebble Beach, he was made to think again.
“I have never felt as nervous in my life,” he admitted.
Yet under such enormous pressure this was the first match to go to the final game since 1991 McDowell, back at the course where he won the Wales Open four months ago, beat Hunter Mahan.
And he did so thanks to a dramatic 20-foot birdie putt at the 16th and then a par on the short 17th.
Colin Montgomerie’s side lost the singles 7-5, but having taken a three-point lead into the day the first Monday in Ryder Cup history, of course, after all the rain they triumphed by a 14½ to 13½ margin.
“This is crazy,” added McDowell. “I was trying to do it for 11 team-mates, for all the fans, for the caddies, for Europe and for Monty — and we were all trying to win it for Seve (Ballesteros) too.
“The back nine at Pebble Beach felt like a back nine playing with my dad at Royal Portrush. It’s so much pressure and this is a special feeling there’s nothing quite like it. Monty was amazing. For the last two years he has been up for this.”
McDowell required a full point from his clash with Mahan after Rickie Fowler had come back from three down with three to play to steal a half off Edoardo Molinari.
One up with three to play, McDowell rolled in a lightning fast 20-footer on 16 reminiscent of McGinley’s putt to win at the Belfry in 2002.
Needing to win the last two holes for a half that would have denied Europe, Mahan scuffed his second shot after firing short of the green off the tee on the par-three 17th.
That meant that at worst McDowell needed to get down in two from the edge of the green under unbearable pressure in front of 35,000 fans, but Mahan then missed his putt, conceded the match, and Europe began wild celebrations.
McDowell was immediately submerged by his team-mates, captain and assistant captains on the 18th green, while a bumper crowd that had gathered for the Ryder Cup’s first Monday conclusion began taking it all in.
“That was absolutely amazing. That was bananas,” said McDowell. “The putt on the 16th was stuff I have dreamed about all my life.”
Pádraig Harrington described the winning feeling as “incredible” and “phenomenal”.
“Every Ryder Cup’s the same. It’s phenomenal. There’s nothing like it in golf. That’s incredible.”
Lee Westwood, who lost the opening singles match to Steve Stricker but had been in fantastic form since the opening day on Friday, said: “I’ve never been slapped on the back so often. We are really delighted. It’s been a great team performance against a strong American side.”
Ross Fisher said: “This is very sweet. It’s a shame there’s got to be a losing team and losing side.”
For a tearful Montgomerie, the most remarkable of Ryder Cup wins arguably compensated for the Major title he failed to win during an otherwise title-laden career.
But Corey Pavin’s United States team pushed Europe to the limit, taking the singles by a 7-5 scoreline after trailing 9½ to 6½ overnight.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson — world number one and two players — finally found their form to claim emphatic victories over Francesco Molinari and Peter Hanson, respectively.
Europe though, prevailed thanks to wins by McDowell, Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Miguel Angel Jimenez, plus the priceless halves gained by Rory McIlroy and Edoardo Molinari.