Ryder Cup hat-trick for rampant Europe

STRAFFAN – Europe’s rampant golfers retained the Ryder Cup at the K-Club yesterday crushing the United States in the closing 12 singles to complete a second straight 18.5 to 9.5 points rout.

The triumph was the first time that the Europeans had won three times in a row and represented a new low for American golf in the 79-year-old history of golf’s biggest event as they lost for the fifth time in the last six. The winning putt went to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson defeating JJ Taylor four and three on the 15th green.Minutes later Ulsterman Darren Clarke, who lost his wife Heather to cancer a month before the event, won his singles against Zach Johnson amid emotional scenes on the 16th green.The Europeans won all five sessions for the first time and took the concluding 12 singles by 8.5 points to 3.5, their biggest-ever winning margin.Woosnam’s twelve men went into the final day with a commanding 10-6 lead after four hard-fought sessions of fourballs and foursomes on Friday and Saturday.That left them needing just four points out of the concluding 12 singles to retain the cup as holders and 4.5 points to clinch the win.With talisman Colin Montgomerie and the immaculate Paul Casey leading the way, any hopes the Americans might have had of pulling off another stunning comeback like at Brookline, Massachusetts seven years ago were quickly dashed.The leaderboards were soon dominated by the blue of Europe with little red in sight to cheer the American supporters.The only blip on the European radar surprisingly came from Sergio Garcia who quickly fell four down to US wildcard Stewart Cink.Cink apart, the only other American who bucked the trend early on was the game’s supreme talent Tiger Woods.Finally looking more like his old self after once again failing to the deliver when playing with a partner, Woods edged ahead early on giant Swede Robert Karlsson and he finished it off three and two at the 16th to bring his Ryder Cup record in singles to won three, lost one and halved one.Montgomerie joined an elite group of players on six Ryder Cup singles wins. Nampa-AFPThe winning putt went to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson defeating JJ Taylor four and three on the 15th green.Minutes later Ulsterman Darren Clarke, who lost his wife Heather to cancer a month before the event, won his singles against Zach Johnson amid emotional scenes on the 16th green.The Europeans won all five sessions for the first time and took the concluding 12 singles by 8.5 points to 3.5, their biggest-ever winning margin.Woosnam’s twelve men went into the final day with a commanding 10-6 lead after four hard-fought sessions of fourballs and foursomes on Friday and Saturday.That left them needing just four points out of the concluding 12 singles to retain the cup as holders and 4.5 points to clinch the win.With talisman Colin Montgomerie and the immaculate Paul Casey leading the way, any hopes the Americans might have had of pulling off another stunning comeback like at Brookline, Massachusetts seven years ago were quickly dashed.The leaderboards were soon dominated by the blue of Europe with little red in sight to cheer the American supporters.The only blip on the European radar surprisingly came from Sergio Garcia who quickly fell four down to US wildcard Stewart Cink.Cink apart, the only other American who bucked the trend early on was the game’s supreme talent Tiger Woods.Finally looking more like his old self after once again failing to the deliver when playing with a partner, Woods edged ahead early on giant Swede Robert Karlsson and he finished it off three and two at the 16th to bring his Ryder Cup record in singles to won three, lost one and halved one.Montgomerie joined an elite group of players on six Ryder Cup singles wins. Nampa-AFP