Europe Wins Historic Ryder Cup Hat Trick

Europe 18 1/2 USA 9 1/2

Europe took the 2006 Ryder Cup with an unprecedented third successive victory of the United States at The K Club, Kildare on Sunday.  While Europe went into the series as favourites, the final result, and the margin of it, was one that European followers hope for, but hardly really expected.  The expected American challenge never really took off, their inspired performance in the singles being particularly disappointing.

Europe won every one of the Friday and Saturday fourball and foursomes sessions by exactly the same margin, 2 1/2 points to 1 1/2 points, leaving them with 10 points to 6 entering Sundays singles. With the top 3 of the world's players in their ranks the United States were expected to make serious inroads into the European lead, and to ensure that the destiny of the cup would not be decided until the final match.

European Captain, Ian Woosnam had made no secret of his reliance on veteran, Colin Montgomery's experience to spearhead his teams defence of the cup. Thus 'Monty' was selected for the opening match of the singles, his opponent being former PGA Champion, David Toms. Despite some determined play by Toms on the back nine all he managed to achieve was to bring the match to the 18th hole, before finally surrendering to the Europeans immaculate play by 1 hole.

In the second game, despite not playing particularly well in the fourball and foursomes sessions, Stewart Cink gave the United States some hope as he completely outplayed Sergio Garcia, winning by 4 and 3. Garcia entered the match seeking a Ryder Cup record of 5 points from 5 games, but in the end he was second-best to 'wildcard' Cink, who began with 4 birdies in his opening 5 holes. Despites Cink efforts the European lead remained 4 points (11 to 7).

Further damage was being done to United States morale as Paul Casey was never really in trouble in his match with World and American No.2, Jim Furyk. In fact Casey's 2 and 1 win was very emphatic and he never looked like being overtaken by Furyk. In match No.4 Tiger Woods was always in control against Robert Karlsson, finally winning by 3 and 2. However, the stark reality facing captain Tom Lehman was that while those opening 4 games were in progress, the European lead remained at 4 points, despite having selected 4 of his to big guns for those matches.

However if Lehman thought the scoreboard provided difficult reading for those opening matches, the progress of the following 6 matches must have been heartbreaking, as Europe was up in all matches.  Luke Donald beat Chad Campbell (2 and 1). Darren Clarke beat Zak Johnson (3 and 2), Herrik Stenson beat Vaughan Taylor (2 and 1), David Howell beat Brett Wetterwich (5 and 4) and Jose Maria Olazabel beat Phil Mickelson (2 and 1) as Europe went way beyond the 14 1/2 points that were necessary for outright victory. If Paul McGinley had not sportingly but rather nervously conceded a 25 metre put to JJ Henry to square their match, the winning margin would have been more emphatic. Scott Verplanks 4 and 3 win over Padraigh Harrington was of statistical value only.  What was important to Verplank was by his hole-in-one at the 14th he became the first American (golfer) to accomplish such a feature in Ryder Cup history.

For Captain Lehman and his team of multimillionaires the result is a disappointment.  In pre-match interviews Lehman expressed his fullest confidence in both the personnel of his team and their preparation.  After all, his team contained the World's No.1, 2 and 3 in Woods, Furyk and Mickelson, all serial winners on the US tour and all multiple majors' winners.  The team's preparation for the event included a two-day trip to the course some two weeks prior to the event for both practice and bonding.

Every effort possible was made to regain the Cup and to obliterate the teams collapse at Oakfield Hills in 2004 when Europe retained the Cup by a margin of 9 points. Lehman's decision to put Woods and Furyk together in all the fourball and foursomes was only partially successful as they achieved only 50% success ratio.

While Woods, to this observer gets undeserved criticism relating to his Ryder Cup approach, and his ability to operate as a team player, he nonetheless was the United States top point earner, with 3 out of a possible 5.

A major disappointment for the United States was the failure of Phil Mickelson to make any contribution to his country's cause. He looked out of sorts throughout the series and his 2 and 1 defeat by Olazabal was entirely predictable.

As previously noted all Lehman's rookies, Taylor, Johnson, Wetterwich and Henry all failed to deliver.  The first three were all convincingly beaten and Henry can thank McGinley's sportsmanship for his half point. Lehman's 'wildcard' Verplank and Cink justified their captain's faith in them, but apart from Woods, they were ploughing a lone furrow in the singles.

Quite clearly, Woosnam won the battle of the captains. His low key pre-match approach was justified. He repeatedly responded to some of the criticism that was levelled at him that he had the utmost confidence in his players, and that he did not have to depend on pre-match utterances to motivate them. His pairings in the fourball and the foursomes all delivered points where possible. As Europe won each of such sessions by 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 a commanding lead was set up for Sundays singles.

It is difficult to understand the collapse of the American challenge.  While it is accepted that golf by its nature is very much an individualistic discipline, one must ask as to why the modern European player is able to adapt the concept of the team game so successfully. Europe has now won 5 of the last six Ryder Cups. For the Americans, perhaps they should replicate the European system of team selection, where present form rather then past achievement should be the criteria!

The staging of the event in Ireland was a major success from all stand points.  The attendances were huge and impeccably behaved.  The organisation and control of those entering and leaving the course was run with military precision, but also with a smile.  The ever changing weather conditions tested both the players, the organisers and the attendance to the full, but all responded magnificently.  This was a massive event, played in the best spirit with Europe the clean cut winners.