SUNDAY SINGLES:YOU DIDN'T need to be a rocket scientist to recognise what Anthony Kim brings to American golf. He's a bright light.

And, in this city of Louisville where Thomas Edison worked on inventing the electric light bulb in the 18th century, the golfer of Korean extraction - wearing a blue-and-gold sparkling diamond belt buckle with the legend USA - strode the fairways like a colossus.

Sergio Garcia wouldn't have had to cast his mind back too far to empathise with Kim. Once upon a time, he was the new kid on the block. Once upon a time, he was the one who strutted around with a cockiness and a confidence that only the truly great players possess. Yesterday, in the sultry heat of Kentucky, Kim played with an exuberance - and a genius - that put Garcia on the flipside for a change. For once, he was the quiet man.

Indeed, when it ended, Kim was so caught up in the emotion of things he didn't realise when Garcia missed a birdie putt on the 14th green the match was over. Kim, unaware that he'd won 5 and 4, the biggest singles win by an American rookie in the Ryder Cup since David Duval beat Jasper Parnevik at Brookline in 1999, sprinted like a kid chasing sweets for the 16th tee before being redirected back to shake hands with the Spaniard.

"I thought we still had one hole to play," remarked a grinning Kim afterwards, observing that the win - beating the two wins he had on the US Tour this season - constituted the "best day of my life."

Just over three hours earlier, Kim threw himself into the cauldron that is the singles day at the Ryder Cup.

The scene around the first tee for the first singles was spine-tingling. "Isn't this the best you've ever seen?" wondered US captain Paul Azinger, caught up in the noise and enthusiasm of those camped in the L-shaped stand. We didn't dare disillusion him by reminding him of The K Club. Some people have short memories.

Still, in fairness to Zinger, there was a wonderful atmosphere. The noise was loud enough to create extra business for an otolaryngologist - ahem, an ear specialist - and the banners left the Europeans in no doubt about the home crowd's feelings.

"The Streak Ends Here" and "Not On Our Turf" were among the messages As Garcia made his way up to the tee box, the USA fans chanted to El Nino. "Where's your major, Sergio?" they sang. And as Kim walked onto the tee he tugged at his shirt - right around the heart - and further whipped up the crowd by yelling to those shouting his name.

What was to follow from Kim was quite sensational. He started 3-3-3-3 (a run of three birdies in four holes) and turned in an approximate 30 strokes, having been conceded an eagle on the par five seventh where Garcia was twice in water.

Garcia had been chasing the young impostor from the second hole, when he fell behind to a four-foot birdie. Things got worse for Garcia on the sixth, where his tee shot found the heavy rough beside the Floyd's Creek and he was forced to take a penalty drop. Two down, his water games on the seventh put him three holes down . . . and, having won the 10th in birdie, Garcia's fightback was proven to be short-lived.

His enemy turned out to be his putter as much as Kim, as Garcia three-putted the 11th and 12th and then overshot the 13th green to fall five behind. It all finished on the 16th, where Kim - setting the tone for his team-mates behind - secured victory.

Throughout the match, Kim was so pumped up that, in consultation with his caddie, he purposely under-clubbed with his approach shots. "You can never underestimate Sergio, he's a great player with a great Ryder Cup record. I just kept my nose to the grindstone and kept grinding away," said Kim.

If he was grinding, it looked like he had fun doing so as he interacted with the crowds and high-fived anyone from the US backroom team who came across him.

"I got chills up my spine the whole day. I loved every minute of it . . . I wouldn't trade this for $10 million. This has been the experience of a lifetime. I'm going to draw back on things that happened this week, the most exciting day I've ever had."

For Garcia, it was another singles defeat - his fourth in five singles - that left him disappointed but respectful of his conqueror. "It was a hard day. I played against a guy that played awesome, and it is hard when you're in that kind of situation. Unfortunately, I could get anything right today."

Kim, in contrast, could do no wrong. Tomorrow's man signalled his arrival in style.