Graeme McDowell secures Ryder Cup glory in thrilling finale

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David Smith13 April 2012

Europe today regained the Ryder Cup here in one of the most thrilling finishes in the competition's history, Graeme McDowell securing the trophy in the very last match of the final round of 12 singles.

Europe beat the United States 14½-13½ to avenge their defeat at Valhalla in Kentucky two years ago as the tournament went to the deciding match for the first time since the Americans won at Kiawah Island in 1991.

Victorious Europe captain Montgomerie paid tribute to McDowell, saying: "Graeme McDowell was put there for a very good reason. He's full of confidence and that showed. That birdie on 16 was quite unbelievable.

He continued: "I'm very proud. It's a very proud moment for us all here in Europe. They all played to a man magnificently, they all gave 110% and that's all you can ask.

"I want to talk about every player playing how well they did. They did magnificently. I knew I had a great 12. I just had to rely on certain people at certain times.

"At one stage there were eight blue names on the board and it was over. But they weren't two, three up, they were one up. It's a dangerous position to be in.

"They (the US) came back extremely well. All credit to them. Tiger showed he was number one in the world. Phil Mickelson did brilliantly.

"All credit to the American team. You played magnificently today. The three-point deficit was the reason why we won."

Asked about his own achievement, Montgomerie said: "I didn't hit a shot so it wasn't much of an achievement, but it's a proud proud moment."

This year's hosts had gone into the final day holding a 9½-6½ lead and needing five points from the final session of 12 singles matches to reach the 14 ½ points that would mean the trophy returning to this side of the Atlantic.

Crucially, the first win of the day went to the holders, with Steve Stricker beating Lee Westwood 2&1, and America scored a second point when Dustin Johnson crushed US PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer 6&4.

Europe's hopes were revived when Ian Poulter beat Matt Kuchar 5&4, Rory McIlroy grabbed his half point against Stewart Cink, and Luke Donald crawled across the line one up on Jim Furyk having earlier held a three-hole lead.

Spanish veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez overcame rookie Bubba Watson, and Edoardo Molinari, four up after 12, survived a late scare to halve with Rickie Fowler on the last green.

However, with Londoner Ross Fisher, Peter Hanson, Francesco Molinari and Padraig Harrington all losing in the lower half of the draw, it all came down to McDowell, sensational winner of the US Open back in June, holding his nerve against Hunter Mahan.

The match was on a knife edge but the Northern Irishman critically holed a putt on the 16th to go two ahead with two holes to play.

On the next Mahan fluffed a chip from the edge of the green to leave McDowell with a long putt to take the trophy.

And although he fell just short, Mahan then missed his 12ft putt and the contest was over.

That sparked massive celebrations among the European team but nobody had more cause to celebrate than team captain Montgomerie.

The Ryder Cup has come to define the career of the 47-year-old, a veteran of eight matches as a player whose prowess as an exponent of head-to-head match play golf was confirmed by a record of never having been defeated in the singles.

Now he has proved just as fearless as a captain.

Montgomerie can be the most moody of individuals but, for now, forget past reputations.

The Scot who strode the Twenty Ten course here, specially constructed for the 38th edition of the Ryder Cup, was a colossus.

This was a mighty Monty. This was a simply magnificent Monty. And the crowds packed around the 17th green chanted his name over and over again as champagne corks popped and tears of joy fell on ground already saturated by the deluge that had sent this Ryder Cup into a Monday finish for the first time in the competition's 83-year history.

Even before today's extraordinary events his players had lavished praise on the way in which their skipper had left no stone unturned in his preparations for the match.

His entire focus had been geared towards taking on and beating an American team who had come to Wales boasting the top two players in the world, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and crammed with an ominous mix of experience and youthful bravado.

Montgomerie's rival, Corey Pavin, marched to a military beat by bringing an F16 jet fighter pilot, a veteran of three tours in Iraq, to give a pre-match motivational speech to his men.

But Montgomerie pulled off a masterstroke by getting Seve Ballesteros, the Ryder Cup legend who remains so desperately ill following surgery on a brain tumour, to speak to his 12 players by conference call from Spain.

They responded with performances brimming with the passion that Montgomerie believed was lacking in 2008, under the captaincy of former Masters champion Nick Faldo.

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