Europe take Ryder Cup with last-gasp win (3rd Lead)

By Peter Auf der Heyde Oct 4, 2010, 16:25 GMT

Newport, Wales - Europe on Monday won the Ryder Cup for the 11th time when Ireland's Graeme McDowell beat American Hunter Mahan 3&1 in the final match on the 17th hole.

Europe won 14.5-13.5.

Montgomerie's decision to place one of his strongest players in McDowell in the last match worked fantastically, as the US Open champion became the European hero.

'I just can't describe the feeling of this golf tournament. Trying to win it for your 11 other team-mates, the caddies, the fans here have just been unbelievable. There's nothing quite like it.

'I was really nervous there. I was so nervous. It's a different feeling to winning a major, it is just so much pressure.'

Going into the concluding singles matches, Europe had a three point lead, but had to wait until the very last match until they managed to secure the fifth point that they needed.

Finally, after three days of rain and poor weather conditions, which forced play to continue on Monday for the first time in the history of the competition, the players took to the course on Monday morning with the sun shining, and it seemed to shine brightly on the European team as they had the early momentum.

But after failing to convert that into points, the Americans fought their way back into the game with a number of magnificent performances.

Tiger Woods, who was down by two after the fifth, came back strongly and hit five birdies and an eagle between the ninth and 15th hole to beat Francesco Molinari 4&3.

'Francesco got off to a quick start, but I just stayed patient. I just told myself: stay calm, stay patient, stay within myself and keep doing what I know I can do. And it all turned,' Woods said.

It then appeared that the other Molinari brother Edoardo could practically ensure victory to Europe, but a late comeback from fellow-rookie Rickie Fowler saw the American birdie the last four holes to halve the match.

'It was a position where it was nothing to lose. I had to go for it and he forced me to make some putts at the end,' Fowler said.

It then all came down to McDowell, who needed to win his match to give Europe the one-point lead as the Americans would retain the trophy if the game ended in a draw.

Mahan birdied the 15th to take the match to 1-down, but the Irishman bounced straight back with a birdie on the 16th to go back to 2-up.

The par-3 17th was then to prove decisive as McDowell played his tee-shot on the edge of the green, while Mahan left his well short and failed to reach the green with his second.

McDowell played his second close to the pin and when Mahan failed to hole his third for the par, he conceded, giving Europe not only the match, but also the title.

Montgomerie said that it was one of the proudest moments in his career.

'We all played to a man magnificently, we all gave a 110 per cent, and that's all I could ask,' he said.

'Graeme McDowell was put there for a good reason, he's full of confidence and that showed. That birdie on 16 was just quite unbelievable, quite unbelievable.'

He said the day proved to be much more of a roller-coaster than expected. Well we were up 9.5 - 6.5 and we got off to a flyer, at one stage it was eight blue names on the board but we weren't 2-up, 3-up, they were 1-up and that was dangerous position to be in.

They came back extremely well. Tiger showed why he was number one in the world today and Phil Mickelson played brilliantly. All credit to the American team, they played magnificently today.

Europe has now held the trophy 12-times as they once retained it after drawing against the Americans.

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