Europe 14 ½ – United States 13 ½. The European team, captained by Jose Mari Olazábal and dressed in navy blue and white, the colors of Seve Ballesteros, has staged an incredible comeback adding 8 ½ points in the individual matches to win the Ryder Cup, and returns home with the prized trophy. The 39th edition of the world’s third largest sporting event, held at Medinah Country Club in Chicago (Illinois), will go down in history and will always be remembered as one of the most exciting.
The two points that the Europeans got yesterday in the last matches were essential, they were an injection of morale that motivated Olazábal’s squad. Our team went to bed last night believing in themselves, convinced that the situation, although complicated, could turn around at any moment and fall on Europe’s side.
Davis Love III had asked the American public, in addition to cheering for their team (they have complied to the point of bordering on anti-sportsmanship and foul play), to wear red on Sunday so that the course would be a veritable tidal wave in their team’s colors. Captain Olazábal, on the other hand, had decided that the Europeans would wear navy blue and white, Seve Ballesteros’ favorite colors, with the champion’s logo embroidered on the jersey, as well as on the bag.
Olazábal’s 12 magnificent players immediately put the scoreboards in blue, the color of Europe, and very soon the first points were falling… Europe has not only retained the Ryder Cup, for which it needed to win in eight matches, but has won it by 14 ½ – 13 ½. The story is told by the protagonists:
José Mari Olazábal: “This victory means a lot, but not only for me but for all of European golf, for these 12 fantastic players, the four Vice Captains, the caddies… the triumph belongs to all of Europe.
Last night, the boys went to bed believing in themselves, convinced that it was going to be a difficult but not impossible task. I told them there was a glimmer of hope. This morning they came out this morning very motivated to give it their all, they played great golf. I feel very proud and the happiest man in the world.
We had no room for maneuver; the key was to start winning points quickly, we knew that if we could do that we could have a chance.
It has been a very hard week. During the first two days things didn’t work out for us, but this morning our guys started making putts, the scoreboard turned blue immediately and we managed to win the first points, which was essential.
I’m used to feeling the pressure playing everything in a tournament and I’ve won two Majors, but this is much more. It has been a wonderful day, the happiest of my life.
When I saw the pairings I told the guys that the matches were very evenly matched and we could win.
Nothing will console Davis (Love III), nothing can be said to him because there is no possible consolation, the same thing happened to us in ’99.
The Ryder Cup would not be what it is without the contribution of the continental players.
Sergio’s point was very important, it gave us oxygen and more hope at a key moment. Poulter feels an extra motivation in the Ryder Cup like in no other tournament. Martin Kaymer is a great player, he was happy to get the point with which we retained the Cup.
Now, to enjoy this moment, when I get home I will remember all the experiences of this week; I don’t know if we are aware of what we have achieved”.
Davis Love III, first reaction: “I’m speechless, I can’t react. Now I know what they felt in ’99 in Brookline when we came back. I’m still in shock. We were playing really well, we put our best guys in the early games and our most consistent guys towards the end, thinking it would all come down to the Jason Dufner game.” (It’s worth remembering that Dufner/Hanson was the ninth match and the Europeans won the first five).
Sergio Garcia: “The Ryder Cup drives me crazy, there is nothing like it. It has been incredible. We knew we had it tough but we were also convinced that it was not all over and there was an opportunity, which we did not let pass. I am very happy, not only for having won but also for our Captain; José María has done a lot for golf and he deserves this victory more than anyone else. He is happy today. It has been a pleasure and an honor to compete for him, he is not only a great Captain but also an excellent person”.
Miguel Angel Jimenez: “We have the best European team in the history of the Ryder Cup, and a magnificent captain who deserved this victory. I am happy, very happy, and I am very happy for my great friend the “vascorro”. It has been a very special week, an experience I will never forget.
Ian PoulterIt’s unbelievable, I can’t describe how I feel right now. Last night there was a very relaxed atmosphere in the Team Room, it didn’t feel like we were four points behind. I can’t explain why, but we were all very relaxed, very calm, we even told jokes. We knew we had a very small chance, we had to try and we succeeded. We made history. I still can’t believe it. My captain chose me and I had to play well for him, I owed it to Olazábal, and also to Seve. José María told us at the beginning of the week that the Ryder Cup is made of memories and dreams”.
Luke Donald scored the first point for Europe defeating Bubba Watson by 2 & 1: “We wanted to win for José María and for Seve. I came out in the first match and my mission was to win right away to boost the team’s morale. It is an honor to have fulfilled the mission that the captain gave me and I hope it has inspired my teammates. We had a reputation for not being good at singles and we have shown that we know how to do it. The last two games we won yesterday were the key to today’s victory, they gave us the boost we needed.
Martin Kaymer, author of the point with which Europe retained the Ryder Cup: “On Saturday I spent some time talking to Bernhard Langer because my attitude was not what you expect in a Ryder Cup. That conversation helped me a lot. I’m glad I won for Olazábal, he deserves it. Winning a major is important but it’s only for you; today I realized what it means to win the Ryder Cup, you can’t compare. On the 16th José María came up to me and said “Martin, we need your point, I don’t know how, but win it”, and I got it”.
Rory McIlroy, world number one: “If I lost my point I would never have forgiven myself. I didn’t want to disappoint my 11 teammates and the captain. I’m happy to have played my part in Europe’s victory”. This morning, McIlroy arrived at Medinah Country Club in a police car eleven minutes before teeing off; he had mixed up his tee time – 11:25 am against Keegan Bradley – and did not realize his mistake until he quietly left his room and received a call telling him to be on the first tee in 25 minutes.
Francesco Molinari: “I fought as hard as I could to win the half point against Tiger Woods”.
Lee Westwood: “From now on we have to change the Ryder Cup qualification system: nine get in automatically, two are chosen by the Captain, and Poulter!”.
Nicolas Colsaerts: “It’s an indescribable feeling, I’ve dreamed of this moment a thousand times”.
Nine holes with Sergio Garcia / Jim Furyk
On the first tee, the shouts ¡U-S-A, U-S-A! dedicated to Furyk intermingle with the ¡Olé, olé, olé! cheering Sergio. A group of Englishmen sing a song to the Spaniard in which each phrase of the chorus ends with “Gaarsia”. Sergio smiles. He begins to make swings and they chant at the rhythm of the club. Hole one ends in a tie.
On the way to the green of hole two, many shouts of encouragement to Furyk: Jim, we love you; Jim, charge him; an energizer shouts “kill him”. Sergio makes birdie and goes 1 up.
In the third fairway a group of British people shout at the top of their lungs until they are hoarse: “Sergio, we love you”. They return to match Furyk’s pair.
Among the group of Spaniards following Sergio are his parents, Olazábal’s mother Julia, Sabina Olazábal with her husband Carlos Torres and their children Maitane and Joseba, and Maite Menta. At the fourth hole they encourage the Spaniard – “come on, Sergio, you can do it”- and a lady in an American uniform turns around and gives them a dirty look: unmistakable, Furyk’s mother, her son has gone out to her.
In the fifth Sergio goes to the right and hits a shot between the trees, although he ends up in the bunker. The policeman following the match -with a large “Sherif” embroidered on his sleeve- was ecstatic at the Castellon native’s shot and exclaimed: “Oh, Jesus! A spectacular bunker shot, Furyk is up for eagle but the two make birdie and continue tied.
Hole six, support divided: “Let’s go, Jimbo, go and beat him”, “Come on, Sergio”. They are still evenly matched.
At the seventh, Sergio greets a group of British fans with a Spanish National Team shirt and a huge “Sergio 1” on his back. Both meet par and the tie continues.
On the eighth tee, a buggy approaches with supplies for the Europeans and they give Sergio an energy bar and an apple to replenish his strength, although he ends up with a bogey and Furyk wins the hole. The person who carries the small board with the score of the match plays dirty, something to which unfortunately we have been accustomed during the whole week: before Sergio kicks the ball, he already puts the 1 up in red in the American’s locker.
Par for both on the back nine and Furyk is still 1 up, but Sergio is smiling: his friend Luke Donald has just won the first point of the day for Europe.
Sergio ends up winning his match on the 18th hole and scores the 13th on the European scoreboard.
Pep Guardiola follows McIlroy
Pep Guardiola is a golf enthusiast although, since he has been living in New York, he has hardly played. Olazábal invited him to the Ryder Cup and Pep has been in Medinah these days as a spectator, accompanied by his family, enjoying and suffering with the European team. Today he has closely followed McIlroy’s match, witnessing the point he achieved by defeating Bradley. Olazábal: “Pep loves golf and I spoke to him some time ago about how to motivate the players; we talked about his video of the Rome final and I based it on the one I have given to the boys. He was very excited to come and I think he enjoyed something incredible. I was with him on the first tee and he was happy, he couldn’t imagine the immensity of the Ryder Cup”.
The tee of one /Keegan Bradley
The atmosphere on the first tee is indescribable. You have to get up early to get a good spot, and although the first match does not start until 11:03 a.m., the stands are packed from 8 a.m. Thousands of fans sing and shout non-stop, some songs overlap with others. Keegan Bradley, who has turned out to be the “poulter” on the U.S. side, does not play until 11:25 a.m., yet he appears at the tee of hole one three-quarters of an hour earlier to harangue the American crowd. He asks the crowd to chant U-S-A, U-S-A, and they obey him, chanting it louder than ever. Bradley is defeated by McIlroy.
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