Notes and Quotes from the Ryder Cup
Key to Cup: Faldo's big guns silent – Ryder Cup
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - There was nothing wrong with Nick Faldo's strategy for finishing off this Ryder Cup. Capt. Nick, facing a two-point deficit to start the day, went for an early knockout to lead off the singles, and so sent out Sergio Garcia, the Europeans' reigning spiritual leader and winningest man. Then he wanted a powerhouse finish, and had Lee Westwood next-to-last, and Padraig Harrington in the final match.Garcia came in with a 14-4-2 record, Europe's best. Westwood was close behind at 14-8-3, and though Harrington was at a modest 7-8-2, he was-with Tiger Woods recuperating - probably the top player in the world, having won both the British Open and the PGA Championship in recent months.
Faldo never had a nightmare like this one. Put the three of them together, and not only did they lose in singles, they did not have a win in any of the matches.
In singles, Garcia got blown out by U.S. rookie Anthony Kim, 5 and 4, his worst cup loss ever; Westwood led most of the way, then got outrun when Ben Curtis, having an anemic week, won five of the last seven holes for a 2 and 1 win, and Harrington trailed most of the way and fell to Chad Campbell, 2 and 1.
For the three days of matches, Garcia was 0-2-2, Westwood 0-2-2 and Harrington 0-3-1.
CUP RUNNETH AGAIN - The U.S. win ended a string of three losses (2002, 2004 and 2006), and the 16-1/2 -11-1/2 final - 5 points -- and is the largest U.S. margin since 1981 (18 1⁄2 to 9 1⁄2). This was also the first time since 1979 (the year all of Europe was incorporated into the Ryder Cup) that the U.S. led after each session.
THE BEERMAN COMETH -- As Padraig Harrington and Chad Campbell, the final pairing, were heading down the first fairway after their tee shots, European captain Nick Faldo boarded his golf cart, drove up to the tee in front of a crowd of European fans. Then he took a bag from the back of the cart and stood up on the seat, and began pulling cans of beer out of the bag and tossing them up to the fans. “They earned it,” he said. “They've been fantastic all week.”
UPPER AND DOWNER - Hunter Mahan went 1-up on Paul Casey with a cross-country birdie putt at the 17th, and went chasing the fist-pumping across the green in his near-delirium. Then at the par-5 18th, he promptly hit his tee shot wide right into the water. It gave Casey an easy win on the hole and a half for the match.
RUNNING ON EMPTY - Phil Mickelson, who was erased easily by Justin Rose, 3 and 2, now has not won a Ryder Cup singles match since 1999. Rose's win, the third match finished, cut the U.S. point lead to 10-9.
BY DEFINITION - Kenny Perry, 48, who was aiming for the Ryder Cup all year, after his 3 and 2 win over Henrik Stenson: “I said this was going to define my career, but this made my career.”
Perry, en route to a 3 and 2 win over Henrik Stenson, started with birdies on four of the first five holes, but played his final match in pain from a chronically sore shoulder. He had to be tended to by a physiotherapist at the 11th, and needed some pain-killer medication.
THE MAGIC 17TH -- Jim Furyk clinched this Ryder Cup on the 17th hole with his 2-and-1 win over Miguel Angel Jimenez. Justin Leonard clinched the 1999 Ryder Cup for the Americans with a 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
In the 15 Ryder Cups held since all of Europe was brought into the Ryder Cup in 1979, each side has won seven times, and there has been one tie.
The U.S. last won the singles matches in 1999, when the Americans captured 8 1⁄2 points and Europe 3 1⁄2. Sunday, the Americans won seven singles to four for Europe. There was one halve.
AND THE PICKS SHALL LEAD THEM - U.S. captain Paul Azinger and Euro captain Nick Faldo came under some scrutiny - Faldo especially -- about certain of their team picks. The results should quiet the critics.
Hunter Mahan led the Americans, going 2-0-3, getting 3-1/2 points. The other three picks: J.B. Holmes, 2-0-1; Chad Campbell, 2-1-0 and Steve Stricker, 0-2-1.
Ian Poulter was the European hero, playing in all five matches and going 4-1-0 for four points. Faldo's other pick (he had two), Paul Casey, went 0-1-2.
The final individual results:
Europe
Ian Poulter 4-1-0
Justin Rose 3-1-0
Graeme McDowell 2-1-1
Robert Karlsson 1-1-2
Henrik Stenson 1-2-1
Oliver Wilson 1-1-0
Paul Casey 0-1-2
Sergio Garcia 0-2-2
Lee Westwood 0-2-2
Soren Hansen 0-2-1
Miguel Angel Jimenez 0-2-1
Padraig Harrington 0-3-1
(Hansen, McDowell, Rose and Wilson were Ryder Cup rookies. They were a combined 6-5-2.)
United States
Hunter Mahan 2-0-3
J.B. Holmes 2-0-1
Boo Weekley 2-0-1
Justin Leonard 2-1-1
Jim Furyk 2-1-1
Anthony Kim 2-1-1
Kenny Perry 2-1-1
Chad Campell 2-1-0
Phil Mickelson 1-2-2
Stewart Cink 1-2-0
Ben Curtis 1-1-1
Steve Stricker 0-2-1
(Stricker, Holmes, Mahan, Weekley, Curtis and Kim were rookies. They were a combined 9-4-8.)
ROOKIES NO MORE -- U.S. rookies Anthony Kim, Boo Weekley, Ben Curtis and J.B. Holmes won their singles matches, the most since 1989 when three American rookies won their singles. The three from 1989? Mark McCumber, Chip Beck and Paul Azinger, the 2008 U.S. captain.
BIRDIE STORM -- In the singles, the U.S. made 56 birdies and Europe 52. There were also five eagles, four of them at the par-5 No. 7.
BUSY 18TH - Ten of the 28 matches finished on the 18th hole, with Europe winning there three times, the U.S. twice. The hole was halves five times.
BACK TO EUROPE -- The 38th Ryder Cup will be held at Celtic Manor, Wales, in September, 2010. It will be the first time that the Ryder Cup will be held in Wales.
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