The victorious European team (Allsport).

By Phil Casey, PA Sport

Paul McGinley became not just the toast of Dublin, not just the toast of Ireland, but the toast of all Europe on Sunday night - after holing the putt which won back the Ryder Cup.

On another day of almost unbearable tension at The Belfry, McGinley sank a 10-foot putt to put the seal on a famous victory achieved against the odds and with as good a performance as the contest has ever seen.

Captain Sam Torrance's "master plan" of putting his strong men out first paid off handsomely with wins for Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer - both unbeaten all week - Padraig Harrington and Thomas Bjorn.

Darren Clarke halved with last year's Open champion David Duval and then came perhaps the biggest hero of all.

World number 119 Phillip Price was up against world number two Phil Mickelson and in a display he will never forget for the rest of his life the Pontypridd golfer - winner of only two Portuguese Opens in his career - beat him with the most dramatic of 30-foot birdie putts on the 16th.

That took Europe a point from victory and it looked as though Swede Niclas Fasth, a cup rookie like Price and McGinley, would be the one to be engulfed by his team-mates when he found the green at the last and Paul Azinger was bunkered.

But, incredibly, the American's recovery dived into the hole for a birdie that Fasth, from 30 feet, could not match.

Fasth's half meant the United States had to win the last three games. But after Jim Furyk had come agonisingly close to doing what Azinger did, McGinley's putt spared Pierre Fulke and Jesper Parnevik the agony.

Fulke instantly agreed a half with Davis Love, while Tiger Woods - controversially sent out last by American captain Curtis Strange - continued, but conceded Parnevik a putt on the 18th to make the final score 15 1/2-12 1/2.

The fact that Woods' match was irrelevant to the final outcome said it all. Strange had got his strategy horribly wrong and Torrance, not surprisingly tearful now on the course where he cried his eyes out as the 1985 match-winner, got his wonderfully, spectacularly right.

He had already described it as the happiest week of his life apart from the birth of his children and in the moment of triumph said: "It's just fantastic. Tremendous. It was always going to be close, but we've won it.

"All I did was lead them to the water and they drank copiously."

Asked about Price he added: "That's where heroes come from."

Torrance's self-proclaimed "master plan" was to lead off with his big guns.

"They have one Tiger, but I have 12 Lions," declared Torrance as he unveiled his singles order.

His hope was that if Europe could get the upper hand a momentum would build up, inspire those following and create an atmosphere that would carry them to a famous victory.

It certainly took Strange by surprise. He had not only expected it, he admitted he had never seen it done before. And afterwards he said: "Sam snookered me.

"I think he gambled a bit and it paid off. The fans seemed to carry the second half of their team."

The double US Open champion had taken a far bigger gamble by ending his line-up with world number two Mickelson and world number one Woods.

The danger, of course, was that the contest would be over before one or other or both could influence it - as happened to Europe's Solheim Cup women's team only a week ago when Dale Reid put unbeaten Carin Koch out last.

Strange said he had consulted all his side before deciding the policy, but it is doubtful whether Woods reminded him of the 1995 Walker Cup at Porthcawl in Wales.

He was put out last there - against Gary Wolstenholme, the man who pulled off an amazing upset against him on the first day - and although he gained revenge Britain and Ireland had already won by then and could not have cared less.

Level at 8-8 overnight and as the holders of the trophy, the United States needed six points from the singles, while Europe had to get 6 1/2 points.

In the last 21 matches going back to 1959 the United States had lost the singles only twice, but Torrance's hopes began to be fulfilled when a long line of blue numbers went on the giant scoreboards.

That signified Europeans ahead, while the red for the Americans was in very short supply.

Just before 2pm Montgomerie, never beaten in Ryder Cup singles and never behind all week, drew first blood, polishing off Scott Hoch 5&4 - and was six under par for the 14 holes as he took Europe 9-8 up.

The match had an extra dimension to it in that they had some unfinished business.

At Valderrama in 1997 the pair met in what proved the decisive singles match and Montgomerie's brilliant pressure-packed drive down the last then - later voted "Shot of the Year" - set him up for a win. But on the green captain Seve Ballesteros encouraged him to agree the half that was all Europe needed for overall victory.

Now Montgomerie, in perhaps the finest hour of his career, said: "I was as shocked as anyone by what Sam did, but we realised what happened at Brookline three years ago when they won the first six matches (after trailing 10-6). It feeds through the team."

But for only halving a foursomes from three up with four to play he could have become the first European ever to win all his five games.

As it was, he matched the same glittering performance of Jose Maria Olazabal at The Belfry in 1989.

Torrance was full of praise for his fellow Ayrshireman. "He's been tremendous," he said. "Quite incredible considering what he's been through the last few months with his back.

"He's as good as it gets. That's why I put him out number one."

The second point actually came from the fifth game, Harrington demolishing an off-form Mark Calcavecchia 5&4. He too finished with a birdie at the 14th.

"It was a little bit ugly, but Mark gave me the opportunity and I took it," said Harrington.

When Langer beat Hal Sutton 4&3 - he defeated him 5&4 on the course in 1985 - Europe led 11-8.

"We looked at the draw and were very excited," said the 45-year-old German, undefeated on his 10th appearance and with 3 1/2 points now the second-most successful player in cup history behind Nick Faldo - his potential rival for the next captaincy.

"We thought it could work out very well. It gave us a boost and we wanted to win the first five or six and take the pressure off the guys further back."

Still 3 1/2 points were needed from the nine remaining games, but next came America's first point.

Sergio Garcia was two up on David Toms at the turn and when he boldly drove pin high on the 10th the crowd went wild.

However, he was in the rough and not on the green, Toms was the one to birdie the hole with a pitch and 10-foot putt and on the final tee he led by one.

The Spaniard then drove into the water and with his opponent safely on in two he conceded on the fairway. It was 11-9.

No game had been halved at this stage, but the next one was and it was a huge relief for Strange when David Duval made a 10-footer on the last to match the four achieved by Clarke when he hit a brilliant 35-yard chip to a foot.

"I'm a little bit disappointed I didn't win, but some great putts were holed," said the Ulsterman, who had been two up after two, but made a 20-footer on the 17th to remain on terms.

Twenty minutes later Europe were only two points from glory, Bjorn making a five-footer on the 17th to beat Stewart Cink, who took a bogey six not only there, but also on the 15th.

Lee Westwood was the next to finish, but a week that had started so well for him with three wins alongside Garcia fizzled out. After three-putting the last to lose his Saturday fourballs he was beaten two and one by wild card Scott Verplank.

But Price, who for most of the year since the match was postponed last September has struggled for the form he knew he would need, rose to the occasion like a man possessed.

Mickelson was three down after seven and still facing the same deficit after 14 holes.

When the left-hander birdied the long 15th many in the crowd, frenzied by this time, must have feared it was the start of something big.

But Price was having none of it. He was the further away of the two on the 16th green, but when his 30-footer found the target he could hardly believe it.

With Mickelson still in with a chance of keeping the game alive the putt was the equivalent of Justin Leonard's 45-footer at Brookline which sparked an invasion.

But there was no such disturbance this time - although that was maybe helped by the fact that most of his team-mates were over at the final green with Fasth.

He looked like being the man to take Europe over the line until Azinger's 20-yard bunker shot.

Fasth suddenly had to hole his 30-footer to win, but even though he missed he was soon joining in the celebrations that broke out when McGinley holed and were bound to go on until the early hours.

McGinley was soon finding himself being chucked in the lake. Tony Jacklin did not appreciate that in 1985 because he said it ruined a good suit, but McGinley could not have been happier.

He might never be.

E-mail Article Print-Friendly Subscribe to RSS Feed
Post to del.icio.us Facebook

	Latest Golf Stories
	EUROPEAN OPEN UNDER THREAT
	NICHOLAS RETAINS SOLHEIM CAPTAINCY
	MOTIVATION NO PROBLEM FOR McILROY
	WESTWOOD EYES RANKINGS BOOST
	ANNA NORDQVIST SECURES LPGA TITLE
	EUROPEANS ON THE RISE
	WESTWOOD SAVOURS DUBAI SUCCESS
	MONEY NO MOTIVATION FOR McILROY
	McPHERSON BEATS WEATHER TO LEAD
	McILROY INTO WORLD'S TOP 10