EUROPE 9½ USA 6½
It rained again on Sunday morning. But Sunday afternoon produced the brightest session of golf for the Europeans as they turned the Ryder Cup on its head.
“I truly believe that that was one of the greatest days for European golf that we have had,” said Colin Montgomerie.”
Europe claimed 5½ points out of a possible six and take a three-point lead into the singles matches – which will begin at 9.05am tomorrow.
Montgomerie has picked a very strong top five for the singles and one journalist suggested the Ryder Cup may be won in just those first few matches. It might well be. Lee Westwood – officially now the number two in the world – leads off against Steve Stricker. Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer and Ian Poulter complete the top five.
American captain Corey Pavin has the number one and three players at his disposal. But such is the golf Tiger Woods and particularly Phil Mickelson have offered this week – Mickelson has now lost more Ryder Cup matches than any other American (17) – that they are both low down the USA order. Woods plays Francesco Molinari in the eighth match and Mickelson plays Peter Hanson in the tenth.
Europe now need five points from a possible 12 to regain the Ryder Cup. A scintillating afternoon has put them into a position where losing is in nobody’s mindset.
Colin Montgomerie wanted his side to develop momentum. They did so by sweeping through the Usk valley with unrelenting golf and keeping the scoreboard – that, at Monty’s request, were kept regularly on the replay screens – bathed in blue.
There was simply no let up from yesterday’s forward push. Lee Westwood and Luke Donald had the galleries roaring instantaneously as Westwood holed a huge putt on the tenth green to send the pair five up on Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker.
They went on to close out the tie on the 13th green and the Europeans were away.
“As soon as Lee Westwood holed his first putt from 40 feet down the hill I knew that what we had said last night and what we had said in the team room remained; that is Americans were going to come out fast and we had to come out faster,” said Montgomerie.
Every player was out on the course and every player scored for Europe. Montgomerie said it was the stuff of dreams.
“All credit to everybody in that team today,” he said, “I have always said it takes 12 to try to win a Ryder Cup. And all 12 on that course today performed brilliantly. To turn a two point deficit into a three point lead was quite amazing today.”
It was nearly a clean sweep. And it felt like it when the Molinari brothers won the 18th hole against Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar to halve the match.
The Americans were all over the place. In the rough off the tea and wide with their approach shots. Francesco Molinari pitched to within six feet and wobbled in the putt to claim the half point. It was cheered as loudly as any of the victories during the afternoon.
“To do what they did at the last hole,” said Montgomerie of the Molinari’s, “two rookies; two brothers coming down that last hole with everybody that plays golf in Europe watching them. Fantastic performance to hole that putt at the last by Francesco and it gave us a big difference, 9 ½- 6½ to 9-7 is a big, big difference.”
The 17th was where earlier matches had swung against the Europeans. Today everything changed. Rory McIlroy found another huge putt to clinch a three-and-one victory for him and Graeme McDowell against Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan.
Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer also won on the 17th green. A par three was good enough for a two-and-one victory over Phil Mickelson and Ricky Fowler. Poulter recreated his roaring celebration at Valhalla two years ago when he holed for a birdie on the 15th to move three up with four to play.
Miguel Angel Jimenez could also have won on the 17th had he holed a 12-foot putt for birdie. He missed but together with Peter Hanson, whose short game was very precise despite long-range difficulties, they closed out a victory down the 18th. It was a well ground out win for the pair, whose two-shot lead was trimmed on the eighth when Jeff Overton’s approach spun back into the hole for an eagle two.
Ross Fisher and Padraig Harrington appeared to be playing the type of golf to win easily but Jim Furyk had his partner Dustin Johnson playing his best golf of the week. Johnson rolled in three birdies on the back nine to take the match to the 17th. But there the Europeans matched their opponent’s birdie and another point was clinched on the par-three penultimate hole.
