Same Old Scene

The Americans needed more than that. This European team was so talented that for the opening session on Friday, captain Ian Woosnam benched three players in the top 13 in the World Ranking: Luke Donald (ninth), Henrik Stenson (11th) and David Howell (13th). They all played in a thrilling afternoon session in which every match reached the 18th hole. The frailty of recent U.S. teams has never been more apparent than in matches that go the distance. Two years ago the Americans won only one of the 11 matches that reached 18, and they didn't do much better this time around. Woods and Furyk were 1 down playing the par-5 finishing hole when Furyk drowned his team's second shot going for the green, handing a point to Donald and Garc�a. "To beat their best team is almost like winning two points," said Donald.

The victory was Garc�a's second of the day, and in just his fourth appearance he has become one of Europe's greatest Ryder Cuppers, marrying Nick Faldo's precision to Seve Ballesteros's passion. Over the first two days Garc�a would win all four of his matches, pushing his record in team play to 13-1-2. (After Sunday's singles loss, his record overall was still a gaudy 14-4-2.)

Mickelson and DiMarco also lost the 18th hole on Friday afternoon, allowing Montgomerie and Westwood to steal a halve and push the European lead to 5--3. At the conclusion of play a half dozen U.S. players were milling around the 18th green, and Mickelson could sense the flagging spirits. Though to that point he had gone 1-6-1 in his preceding eight Ryder Cup matches, Mickelson tried to project a little leadership with an impromptu speech. It was impassioned enough that golf's Eddie Haskell loosed a mild profanity, leading a couple of teammates to blurt "earmuffs," a nod to Old School and the kids within earshot.

"We're right there in every match," Mickelson said. "We're fighting so hard, and we just have to keep fighting until we turn this thing around." Now his voice was beginning to rise. "All it will take is for a couple of bounces to go our way, and then the scoreboard is going to be nothing but red."

But on Saturday morning Mickelson couldn't walk the walk. He went out in a four-ball with DiMarco and made only one birdie in a 3-and-2 dusting by the Spanish armada of Garc�a and Olaz�bal. Woods was even more feeble, failing to make a birdie on his own ball as he and Furyk lost to Westwood and Clarke. Carried along by the crowds, Clarke ended the match with a stylish chip-in on the 16th hole.

Down 7 1/2--4 1/2 midway through Saturday's action, the U.S. team offered a familiar refrain to explain the growing deficit: "They just happened to make more putts," said DiMarco. The Americans speak of putting as if it's a black art and as if they have no control over the ball. The Euros make more putts because they have superior skill and confidence on the greens, at least for one week every two years.

Saturday afternoon's foursomes offered the last chance to mount a rally ahead of the singles, but by then the Euros were merely toying with the Yanks. The highlight was Casey's ace on the 14th hole to close out his and Howell's 5-and-4 demolition of Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson.

Having won the singles at the last two Cups, the Europeans were trying, with limited success, not to appear overconfident on Saturday night. Said Montgomerie, "The last time the score was 10--6 was at Brookline in '99, and we all know what happened there. So there's no complacency on our side whatsoever." With a knowing smile he added, "I will say that this is the best singles lineup we've ever had, one through 12."

On Sunday, Lehman bunched his four rookies in matches six through nine, which meant that for the Americans to have any chance at victory they needed to win four of the first five matches, which had been weighted with most of their top players. That dream died early. In the leadoff spot Monty birdied the 18th hole to preserve a hard-fought victory over David Toms and run his alltime singles record to 6-0-2. Furyk, off third, played the first seven holes in one over par to fall four down to Casey, a deficit from which he never recovered. (In the cleanup spot Woods beat rookie Robert Karlsson 3 and 2, lifting his record to 3--2, his first winning mark in five Ryder Cups.) When Donald beat Chad Campbell in the fifth match, the only drama left was whether Mickelson could get off the schneid. He wound up losing to Olaz�bal, dropping his record to 0-4-1.

In the end Lehman could only tip his cap to the victors, saying, "I don't know if in the history of the Ryder Cup any team has ever played better than they did."