GOLF: In sport or in life, the Americans don't like to lose. Quite simply, they don't like to be second best to anybody. Yesterday, they had no choice as, in the 35th edition of the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills Country Club, Europe retained the trophy in a more stylish and emphatic manner than any team in history.
If the US players were looking for inspiration en route to the course for the final day's singles, they didn't find any. Private lots around the course that all week were charging up to $60 for parking had reduced rates to $10 and metaphorically reflected the mood of their own fans. In boxing parlance, it seemed that the towel had been thrown in.
And, to be sure, that sense of inevitability was to be borne out as Europe - who had dominated the first two days of foursomes and four-balls, carrying an 11-5 advantage into the singles - controlled the singles too. The stranglehold was unrelenting, sucking the spirit out of their rivals with a display of precise iron play and peerless putting on greens that grew slicker and slicker as the day grew older.
There was to be no slip-up, no faltering from a majestic European team who claimed a fourth victory from the last five contests. In taking the singles by 7 ½ points 4 ½, Europe claimed the match by a record-breaking total of 18 ½ - 9 ½.
This win was different from all others, remarkable for the manner in which the team totally outclassed an American team that included four players from the world's top-10. But, while the US had its superstars, even though they failed to live up to the expectations (Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson between them took just three points from a possible nine), Europe had strength in depth which was evident from the stark fact that every one of the 12 players contributed to the final total.
Fittingly, and as if fate had it's say, Colin Montgomerie had the distinction of actually winning the Ryder Cup for Europe. For a man who suffered so much personal turmoil earlier this year, and who had to rely on a captain's wild card to take his place in Detroit, his one hole win over David Toms - where the Scot holed from four feet - was the stuff of golfing fantasy. Monty's win brought Europe to the magical 14 ½ points mark, guaranteeing victory.
Early on, the Americans' aim to go out with all guns blazing looked to be effective as a sea of red figures dominated the leaderboards dotted around the course.
Slowly, but surely, the Europeans fought back, and Sergio Garcia - who was to finish with four and a half points from five - overcame a two-hole deficit after eight to finally beat Mickelson by 3 and 2. It was his first ever singles win in the Ryder Cup, and the timing couldn't have been better. It set the trend for those behind and the back-up came thick and fast.
Darren Clarke, two down with three to play against Davis Love, won the 16th and 17th - where he chipped in from off the back of the green - before settling for a halved match, missing a four-footer on the last to win the match. But the half point edged Europe closer to their mark - "it's always difficult when you're playing against friends, I was smoking his cigars that he brought me up here earlier this week," said Clarke - and then Lee Westwood closed out his match against Kenny Perry, leaving it to Montgomerie in the match behind to guarantee victory.
After that, it became a rout.
Thomas Levet beat Freddie Funk by one hole; Ian Poulter beat Chris Riley by 3 and 2; Paul McGinley beat Stewart Cink by 3 and 2. And, fittingly, the final putt of the 35th Ryder Cup was sank by Padraig Harrington, who closed out a one hole win over Jay Haas with a 20 footer for par on the 18th.
Given that Montgomerie and Harrington on Friday morning had set the trend for Europe by taking on and beating Woods and Mickelson in the first four-balls of the contest all of three days earlier, it was appropriate that the two should finish off their singles in the same style in front of the huge galleries gathered by the 18th green.
Two years ago, McGinley was the hero of the hour; this time, as he raced around the 15th green handing out golf balls as if to seals at feeding time to the large army of Irish supporters who had followed him and finally serenaded him with "Molly Malone".
"Marvellous, fantastic for European golf," said McGinley. "When word came to me that Monty had won it, I was delighted. I was talking to him at breakfast and it was almost his destiny to do it this time. No-one is more deserving of holing a winning putt in the Ryder Cup than Monty. His contribution to the Ryder Cup down the years and again this week has been phenomenal." The only wins secured by Americans were by Tiger Woods - "the only thing we've lacked is that we haven't made any putts. The Europeans have made so many more putts than us, basically just flat-out outplayed us," he said - who beat Paul Casey by 3 and 2; Jim Furyk who outplayed David Howell; Chad Campbell, who beat Luke Donald; and Chris DiMarco, who beat Miguel Angel Jimenez. But it was all too little, too late. It was Europe's Ryder Cup, by the biggest margin they've ever beaten the US. The previous record was 16 ½ to 11 ½ at the Belfry in 1985.
While the players went out and outplayed their American opponents, much of the praise was heaped onto captain Bernhard Langer. "Everyone's same goal was to win but we've achieved it much easier than I could have imagined. We beat one of the strongest ever US teams on home soil. It all worked better than clockwork, beyond my wildest dreams," said Langer.
"This was a lot more exhausting than playing. I've worked for this all year, for 12 months, preparing and double checking and triple checking that everything was right and it all came out perfect." For now, the European players can savour a job extremely well done; but it won't be long before eyes start looking forward to The K Club in 2006. By then, will Montgomerie by a player, or captain?
SINGLES
P Casey lost to T Woods3 and 2
S Garcia bt P Mickelson3 and 2
D Clarke v D Lovematch halved
D Howell lost to J Furyk6 and 4
L Westwood bt K Perry1 hole
C Montgomerie bt D Toms1 hole
L Donald lost to C Campbell5 and 3
M-A Jimenez lost to C DiMarco1 hole
T Levet bt F Funk1 hole
I Poulter bt C Riley3 and 2
P Harrington bt J Haas1 hole
P McGinley bt S Cink3 and 2
