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'We still care' Love caps perfect Presidents Cup with win over Els
Updated: Thursday December 14, 2000 1:50 PM
GAINESVILLE, Va. (CNNSI.com) -- Davis Love III on Sunday provided an anticlimactic ending to an anticlimactic day, which began with expectations of an easy U.S. Presidents Cup win and ended just as everyone had anticipated. A Ryder Cup celebration, this wasn't. Then again, this wasn't a Ryder Cup. And there certainly was little suspense as to how it would turn out. "There wasn't that much pressure today," Love said. "The International side was thinking it was over, and it pretty much was." Love had reason to be happier than he was, after going 4-0 on the week to share the best record on the team with rookie Stewart Cink. He had come into the tournament not playing well, and annoyed that the motivation of him and his teammates to play in the competition had been questioned. "It's unfortunate that just because we're starting to make a little money out here that people all of a sudden think we're spoiled and don't care," Love said. "We're a little spoiled, but we still care." Love was the perfect partner, winning twice with David Duval and once with Phil Mickelson to help the United States build a 14-6 lead going into the final day of play against the International team. He capped it off with a solo effort that left Els shut out for the week. Els left the course without comment after finishing 0-5 in his matches. "There's always someone on a team that gets on the wrong side of his partner," Love said. "I think his partners put a lot of pressure on him the first couple of days and it just kept getting worse." Love, on the other hand, got some help from partners in his early matches to get him going. "I got better all week and he got a little worse," Love said. It was the second time Love had closed out an opponent to win a cup. The first time was for the Ryder Cup in 1993, when he clinched the U.S. win by beating Costantino Rocca. Love had another memorable Ryder Cup experience last year at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., where he was part the U.S. celebration on the 17th green. Unlike the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup was more of a friendly series of matches between players who live and work near each other. And, in the end, Love did manage to start enjoying himself. "All the talk was leading people to believe we didn't care. We do care," he said. "I didn't want to lose to Ernie Els today and Ernie Els didn't want to lose to me. And we all wanted to win the cup."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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