2010 Ryder Cup: One Of The Best
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 The 38th Ryder Cup | Wrap | 05 Oct 2010
In one of the most dramatic and gripping of final days at the Ryder Cup, Europe has regained the most significant teams trophy in golf by the narrowest of margins, a half point the difference between the Cup returning with the US side or changing hands.
A superb final match between Graeme McDowell and Hunter Mahan ensured the result would remain in doubt until the 17th hole of the final group on the final day. While it would be McDowell who sealed the deal for the Europeans when he birdied the 16th and then won the 17th with a conceded birdie to defeat Mahan by 3&1 there were many heroes on both sides during a week which reminded us all, if indeed we needed reminding, of the greatness of this contest.
Surely the Ryder Cup must go down as the greatest international teams’ event in world sport and today gave further evidence to support that claim.
The final day began in cool foggy weather but before long the sun broke through and any thought that weather would again play a part in the outcome had disappeared. Now it would be the 24 players who would determine the outcome.
The leading match between Lee Westwood and Steve Stricker see sawed either way until the momentum of this particular match and the overall contest swing towards the Americans when Stricker birdied the 12th and 13th to take control of the match. He would go on to win 2&1.
Behind on the golf course, Dustin Johnson continued to eat away at the Europeans three shot lead when he trounced the PGA Champion Martin Kaymer who could not match Johnson’s brilliant five consecutive birdies from the 10th and it was all over at the 14th. How ironic that the man who had benefited from Johnson’s brain-snap at the PGA Championship six weeks earlier would fall victim to Johnson’s brilliance on the final day.
Ian Poulter continued his superb Ryder Cup record when he easily accounted for one of the game’s hottest players at present, Matt Kuchar and the Europeans still had a margin.
Rory McIroy started brilliantly against Stewart Cink when he birdied the first from 12 feet and went two up when Cink made a mistake at the par five second to hand the youngster a two hole lead. The American birdied the next three holes however although never behind from that point on Cink could not shake off a determined McIlory.
It would go to the final hole before McIlroy appeared to have blown his chance of salvaging a half point when he left his third in the greenside bunker. He managed to get up and down to save par and while the half point appeared important at the time no-one knew at that point just how much so.
Jim Furyk staged a strong come-back against Luke Donald after falling three behind with five to play but, when he missed the green at the last with a wedge in his hand, his chance of an all important half point had gone and the Europeans had extended their lead.
The American momentum was building with victories to Jeff Overton, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and the half point salvaged by Rickie Fowler against all odds ensured the result would remain in the balance until the latest possible moment.
Miguel Angel Jimenez restored the faith of the massive home crowd when he accounted for Bubba Watson but Rickie Fowler’s great finish with birdies at the final three holes kept them quiet for a while longer. When Zach Johnson defeated Padraig Harrington the Europeans, everything then hung on the outcome of the match between McDowell and Mahan.
McDowell has always been seen as a tough and grinding competitor. He displayed such characteristics with his gutsy win at Pebble Beach and perhaps that is why Captain Montgomerie decided to place his faith on him in the final match if needed.
That he had won the US open was perhaps also the reason why McDowell was able to produce two great birdies at the 16th and 17th just when Mahan was threatening to claw his way back. A half point was needed for the Americans but when Mahan chunked his third from just short of the green at the 17thit was effectively all over.
Knowing that even a three putt by McDowell would halve the hole and win the match, Mahan graciously conceded the putt and the margin was 3&1 but it hardly did justice to the battle and its importance.
So the Europeans were home by 14½ to 13½ the 6th occasion this particular margin has separated the teams in the last 14 encounters and highlighting just how close this battle is and will continue to be.
The Americans needed only another half point to have taken the Ryder Cup back with them. They will look back and scrutinise the outcome and wonder what might have been.
They needn’t however. They came as the underdogs and against all odds including the ‘watergate’ debacle with the wet weather gear and a partisan home crowd they so nearly got the job done.
The Europeans were superb but so were the Americans and so was the contest. Despite the disrupted nature of the event this was one of the great Ryder Cups.
Bring on the Medinah Country Club in 2012.
