Martin Kaymer edged out Steve Stricker to retain the Ryder Cup
Graham Murtagh
Staff Writer
Not in the clamour of the crowded street,
Not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng,
But in ourselves, are triumph and defeat.
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
It was to be an epic finale.
European hopes were at a low ebb by the time the first shots in the final day’s play at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois came to be played. Fans, continentally-patriotic though they were for this one weekend, resigned themselves to the defeat that would inevitably come. Heading into the last part of this three-act play, a four point deficit would require an effort of historic proportions to overturn.
Dressed in the colours of a golfing icon, the European team marched one by one to take on their respective foes. In crisp white shirts and perfectly pleated navy trousers, they called to mind the image of Seve Ballesteros; a late friend of the Captain, a former Ryder Cup player himself, and a man more than capable of a little bit of magic.
It started with Luke Donald. Bubba Watson met his end against the former world number one as the Masters Champion was overcome 2&1. Enter then Ian Poulter, the man who should arguably be credited with giving this European team any hope at all after his performances on Saturday. Facing Webb Simpson, Poulter delivered another unwavering performance, and took the match and the point 2up. Many were still rightly skeptical; the fallacy of the early European success was a very frontloaded attack force.
Nonetheless, the gap narrowed. 10-8.
Rory McIlroy set his sights on victory against Keegan Bradley, and despite the American’s stunning form during the earlier rounds, victory was not to be denied the Ulsterman. In winning 2&1, Jim Furyk’s assessment that McIlroy was to be the ‘marked man’ of the tournament seemed to hold a rather prophetic vision; McIlroy’s win narrowed the gap further still.
Justin Rose unveiled a great escape of his own against a powerful Phil Mickelson. In the closing holes, despite being behind, the Englishman rolled in confident putt after confident putt and beat Mickelson 1up on the last. This was an enthralling battle to watch, but not merely because it was a titanic battle – when Rose holed yet another long putt to stay in touch on 16, Phil Mickelson stood and applauded. This was sportsmanship. This was golf.
Paul Lawrie came next – his suspect play during the week banished by a 5&3 victory over Brandt Snedeker. Shooting six-under for his fifteen holes, his contribution came just as the leaderboard ceased to be fiery red and started taking on a decidedly blue hue.
Of course, there was losses too. Nicholas Colsaerts was overcome by a tremendous show of golf by Dustin Johnson who beat him 3&2, and Graeme McDowell lost to Zach Johnson 2&1. Jason Duffner got the better of Peter Hanson by two holes as well, but this seemed to matter less and less.
Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood next nailed their contribution to the scoreboard. In the tight match, the Spaniard came up against Jim Furyk, beating him on the last after Furyk was left with a tricky downhill putt on 18 that raced past its target and allowed Garcia to win the hole and the match. Westwood had a easier time against Matt Kuchar – solid play across the back nine (with pars being enough on 12 and 13) saw a further point being added to the European tally as that match ended on the 16th on a score of 3&2.
In the space of an hour, Europe started to believe. They were now level.
With two matches left on the course, hearts were quickly relocated to mouths. Tiger Woods was in the final match against Francesco Molinari, while Martin Kaymar took on Steve Stricker. It would come down to these four players, none of whom had until this stage contributed a single point to their team’s tally. Would the victory blow be dealt by Woods, a player not known to engage with the Ryder Cup and left out of the Saturday foursomes for the first time at Medinah? What about Steve Stricker – struggling with his putting all week but suddenly flourishing when it mattered? Maybe it would be a European victory after all – those who dared to dream wondered if an Italian stallion could upset the Tiger’s singles record once again, just like Costantino Rocca had done in 1997?
In the end, it fell to the German. All square going down the last, Stricker was faced with a similarly long putt to that of Furyk, but unlike his teammate, holed out in two. He had asked the question, and Kaymar had fifteen feet to answer it with. Memories flashed back to another German, Bernhard Langer, missing a putt of similar length to win the 1991 competition at Kiawah Island.
Maybe Seve was smiling this time. The ball dropped, and with clenched fists not unlike a certain striking pose of joy that encapsulated Ballesteros’ in one swift motion, Kaymar had retained the cup for Europe. Molinari came behind, and by finishing all square with Woods, ensured that victory as opposed to mere retention of Samuel Ryder’s chalice was to be the memory of the 2012 Ryder Cup.
Jose Maria Olazbal’s men had done it, and treated millions to perhaps the greatest golfing spectacle ever. In an emotional interview given just after the won, Olazabal said that this one was for his friend Seve.
With the high drama and true sportsmanship on show at the Miracle at Medinah, one can’t but feel he is absolutely right.
