The Conquistador. Sergio Garcia's right of accession to the throne occupied by Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal in Ryder Cup lore was confirmed at Oakland Hills. The Spaniard earned his European comrades 4½ points producing some scintillating golf.

One aspect of his Ryder Cup record that grated was the absence of a singles win in his three Ryder Cup appearances. He rectified that in spectacular fashion when taking out the world number four Phil Mickelson, the victory confirmed on the 16th green.

Mickelson's demise was symptomatic of an horrendous week for the American. Pilloried in the press, chastised by his captain Hal Sutton who dropped him for the Saturday morning fourballs, he was two down playing the 16th, his drive coming to rest in the rough on the right. He elected to play a low hooking draw that finished in the water.

The American got up and down for a bogey five but Garcia, also in trouble off the green, putted up from just short of the green and holed a clutch four footer to close out the match. Garcia's touch on the greens has been little short of sensational.

"I have been working really hard on my putting, trying to get a good motion with the putter and also concentrating on keeping my head still. I have been very solid over those shortish putts all week."

Nerves were apparent on the first for both players, the hole halved in bogeys, the second restored reputations, shared in birdie. The Spaniard continued his erratic start with a bogey on the third to fall one behind and that margin was doubled on the eighth when Mickelson was conceded a birdie after Garcia made a mess of the 441-yard par four.

There has been an effervescent quality to Garcia's golf this week; in adversity the Spaniard bristled with intent. The American galleries' chants of "USA" soon turned to polite applause as Garcia produced a stunning four-hole salvo around the turn.

An exquisite tee shot on nine yielded a birdie, a second followed on 10 when he drained a 30-foot raker from the front of the green and before Mickelson could draw breathe, Garcia produced another glorious iron shot to knock it stiff on the 11th for a third successive birdie.

"I felt I was really playing well all week and so wasn't too concerned when I was down early on. I played so well around the turn and should have won four holes in a row if I hadn't missed a short putt on the 12th. I played enough quality shots when I had to and that pleased me."

Mickelson was rattled. He short-sided himself at the par-three 13th, his tee shot flying over the back of the green. When his chip finally came to rest, it was 60 feet from the hole. Garcia made par and at two down the American was on borrowed time.

El Nino is nothing if not an entertainer and there was nothing pedestrian about his journey to the final hole, the 16th green. His reaction when holing that five-foot putt; a couple of fist pumps and shouts of "Come on, come on", left no one in doubt about his passion for this contest.

"It was definitely important to have the first point for our team but I was trying not to look at the boards because we didn't start too well. People talk about my Ryder Cup singles record but it doesn't matter whether I won or not providing the outcome was right. I want to win, badly."

The mantle has well and truly passed: Seve would approve.