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| Home Is Where the Heartbreak Is | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| MEDINAH, Ill. — The United States Ryder Cup team had a big lead and a big home crowd in its favor Sunday. One of the European team’s stars — Rory McIlroy — nearly missed the start of his match altogether, requiring a police escort to make it to the first tee in time. | MEDINAH, Ill. — The United States Ryder Cup team had a big lead and a big home crowd in its favor Sunday. One of the European team’s stars — Rory McIlroy — nearly missed the start of his match altogether, requiring a police escort to make it to the first tee in time. |
| But the Ryder Cup remains one of the most unpredictable and irresistible of sporting events, and by the time the final putts had been made, missed or conceded in the fading autumnal light at Medinah Country Club, the Europeans were the ones exchanging bear hugs and swigs of Champagne as they wore their national flags as capes and celebrated a stunning 14 ½-13 ½ victory that allowed them to keep the cup. | |
| “Last night, when we were having our team meeting, I think the boys understood that believing was the most important thing,” said José María Olazábal, the European captain, his eyes red from crying and his strong-featured face covered with salt-and-pepper stubble. | “Last night, when we were having our team meeting, I think the boys understood that believing was the most important thing,” said José María Olazábal, the European captain, his eyes red from crying and his strong-featured face covered with salt-and-pepper stubble. |
| It was a draining afternoon, a draining week, but it produced, depending on one’s perspective, the most remarkable comeback or collapse in the 85-year history of the Ryder Cup. | It was a draining afternoon, a draining week, but it produced, depending on one’s perspective, the most remarkable comeback or collapse in the 85-year history of the Ryder Cup. |
| In 1999, at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., the American team rallied to win from a 10-6 deficit at the start of the third and final day’s play, spraying plenty of champagne of their own. On Sunday, the Europeans found themselves in the same predicament, down by 10-6 with 12 singles matches remaining. | |
| But unlike the Americans at Brookline, the Europeans had to fight back on the road at Medinah with the crowd of more than 40,000 applauding their gaffes and sometimes taunting them as they walked close to the ropes on their way from green to tee. | |
| Olazábal frontloaded the European lineup in singles, putting his in-form players on course early in an attempt to commandeer the momentum. It worked. The Europeans won the first five matches, getting victories from Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Paul Lawrie and the late-arriving McIlroy, the northern Irishman who said he mixed up the timetable because the television coverage he was watching in the team hotel was announcing tee times in Eastern Standard Time, one hour ahead of the time here. | Olazábal frontloaded the European lineup in singles, putting his in-form players on course early in an attempt to commandeer the momentum. It worked. The Europeans won the first five matches, getting victories from Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Paul Lawrie and the late-arriving McIlroy, the northern Irishman who said he mixed up the timetable because the television coverage he was watching in the team hotel was announcing tee times in Eastern Standard Time, one hour ahead of the time here. |
| McIlroy arrived at Medinah only 10 minutes before his match with Keegan Bradley was scheduled to start and was unable to warm up on the driving range, settling for a few practice putts. Though he mis-hit his opening drive, he quickly settled down and defeated Bradley, the 26-year-old American Ryder Cup rookie, by the score of 2 and 1. | McIlroy arrived at Medinah only 10 minutes before his match with Keegan Bradley was scheduled to start and was unable to warm up on the driving range, settling for a few practice putts. Though he mis-hit his opening drive, he quickly settled down and defeated Bradley, the 26-year-old American Ryder Cup rookie, by the score of 2 and 1. |
| But even with those five early and critical points, the Europeans still needed three more, and though the Americans appeared, at times, to have the requisite edge as the shadows lengthened, their established stars ultimately cracked on too many occasions. | But even with those five early and critical points, the Europeans still needed three more, and though the Americans appeared, at times, to have the requisite edge as the shadows lengthened, their established stars ultimately cracked on too many occasions. |
| Singles, a traditional American strength, turned into a European strength Sunday as Olazábal’s team won the session, 8 ½ to 3 ½, with the only American singles victories coming from Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson and the rookie Jason Dufner. The Europeans have now won five of the last six editions of the Cup, with the only American victory coming in 2008 at home at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. | Singles, a traditional American strength, turned into a European strength Sunday as Olazábal’s team won the session, 8 ½ to 3 ½, with the only American singles victories coming from Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson and the rookie Jason Dufner. The Europeans have now won five of the last six editions of the Cup, with the only American victory coming in 2008 at home at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. |
| “I wouldn’t have done anything different,” the United States captain, Davis Love III, said. “We said we wanted to win every segment, and we got beat badly in this one. Anytime you lose a segment that badly, it’s going to cost you the Ryder Cup.” | |
| Phil Mickelson, 3-0 in partnership with Bradley on the first two days of play, had a one-hole lead with two holes remaining but still lost, 1-up, to Rose. Jim Furyk, who has long struggled in Ryder Cup, blew a one-hole lead in the final two holes to lose to Sergio García. | Phil Mickelson, 3-0 in partnership with Bradley on the first two days of play, had a one-hole lead with two holes remaining but still lost, 1-up, to Rose. Jim Furyk, who has long struggled in Ryder Cup, blew a one-hole lead in the final two holes to lose to Sergio García. |
| Furyk, the 42-year-old who was one of Love’s four captain’s picks, missed a 12-foot putt to lose the 17th hole. Then, after a long and agonizing examination of the lay of the land, he missed a 6-foot putt on the 18th that would have allowed him to salvage a half-point for the United States. It was the latest psychological blow in a season brimming with them for the man who also lost a lead on the closing holes of the United States Open. | |
| The Europeans were on their way in earnest, and the man who ended up putting the exclamation point on this epic comeback was Martin Kaymer, a former German wunderkind now mired in a slump who still had enough composure and touch to defeat Steve Stricker, another of Love’s captain’s picks, by holing a 5-foot putt on the 18th hole. | |
| It was a full-circle moment for Germany. In 1991 at Kiawah Island, Bernhard Langer, the German star, was unable to make the short putt that would have won the Cup on the road for Europe. But Kaymer, the second German to play in this competition, fared better. | It was a full-circle moment for Germany. In 1991 at Kiawah Island, Bernhard Langer, the German star, was unable to make the short putt that would have won the Cup on the road for Europe. But Kaymer, the second German to play in this competition, fared better. |
| Kaymer raised his arms, leaving the head of his putter on the grass, then turned and raced across the green and leapt into his teammates’ arms. | Kaymer raised his arms, leaving the head of his putter on the grass, then turned and raced across the green and leapt into his teammates’ arms. |
| “We’re all kind of stunned,” Love said. “We know what it feels like now from the ’99 Ryder Cup. We were playing so well. We just figured it didn’t matter how we sent them out there.” | |
| The 12 members of the American team kept talking up the importance of their 13th man: a reference to the large and boisterous crowd at Medinah. But the Europeans had their 13th man, too. Seve Ballesteros, the former European Ryder Cup star and captain, died last year of a brain tumor but he had a weeklong presence. The Europeans put a silhouette of Ballesteros on their golf bags and on the sleeves of their shirts, which were blue and white Sunday in honor of Ballesteros’s preferred color combination. | The 12 members of the American team kept talking up the importance of their 13th man: a reference to the large and boisterous crowd at Medinah. But the Europeans had their 13th man, too. Seve Ballesteros, the former European Ryder Cup star and captain, died last year of a brain tumor but he had a weeklong presence. The Europeans put a silhouette of Ballesteros on their golf bags and on the sleeves of their shirts, which were blue and white Sunday in honor of Ballesteros’s preferred color combination. |
| “I have no doubt in my mind that he was with me today all day because there’s no chance I would have won my match if he wasn’t there,” said García, a Spaniard who was close to Ballesteros. “It was amazing, and it feels so good to be able to win it for him and for captain José.” | |
| Ballasteros was Olazábal’s mentor, the fellow northern Spaniard who gave him his first big break as a teenager by inviting Olazábal to play in an exhibition. They later formed one of the most successful Ryder Cup partnerships. | Ballasteros was Olazábal’s mentor, the fellow northern Spaniard who gave him his first big break as a teenager by inviting Olazábal to play in an exhibition. They later formed one of the most successful Ryder Cup partnerships. |
| “José wanted to win it for Seve,” said Graeme McDowell of the European team. “And we wanted to win it for José and Seve.” | “José wanted to win it for Seve,” said Graeme McDowell of the European team. “And we wanted to win it for José and Seve.” |