Donald, Poulter and McIlroy deliver emphatic wins
The Americans only needed 4-1/2 points from a possible 12, on Sunday, to reclaim the Ryder Cup. However, Europe was certainly in no mood to let that happen. The team inspired by Seve Ballesteros was never meant to lose.
A brilliant comeback on the Sunday by the Team Europe meant that they win the Ryder Cup by one point, maintaining their dominance over America.
Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy were the first to set the tones on Sunday.
Jose Maria Olazabal decided to go first up with former world number one, Luke Donald. Luke was up against a man in form, Bubba Watson.
The two class acts started superbly with a birdie on the first hole, Donald also found some support, as he resides in Chicago. There wants chants of ‘Luuuuke’.
Watson bogeyed the second hole and immediately, Europe was in the lead. Donald went 2-Up at the fourth hole. A barrage of pars meant that Europe was in the lead even after 10-holes.
Luke, then, showed his class and went 4-Up by winning the 11th and the 12th hole. Watson pulled the lead back by two by birdying the 15th and the 16th but it was too late. He needed to win the next two holes as
well.
The key moment of the match arrived at the17th, when the Englishman was in some trouble but he carved out a magnificent approach to get the first point of the day for his team, winning 2&1.
In the next match, Ian Poulter was up against the current US Open Champion, Webb Simpson. Ian had been very vocal in the build up to Ryder Cup.
He was in no mood to let the Americans get hold of the trophy. So far, he had won all three of his matches and he was not willing to spoil his hundred percent record.
This was a see-saw battle, with immense drama. Both the players started off with birdies but soon Simpson took command of the match by winning two of the next three holes.
Ian pulled the lead back to 1-Up by winning the fifth but Webb immediately made amends by taking the next hole.
Poulter then backed himself up and won the next two holes to level things up after eight holes. At the 10th, Webb again took the lead but the Englishman cancelled it out at the 12th hole.
Things were levelled up till the 16th but Ian took the 17th and 18th hole to give Europe their second point of the day, winning 2-Up.
Rory McIlroy showed Keegan Bradley why he is the number one golfer in the world at the moment. A flawless round of 17
holes never gave a chance to the American to surge ahead.
Rory took the lead by winning the fourth hole and from there on, there was no turning back.
Keegan did put up some fight back by levelling things up at the 12th hole but it was too much to ask for. Rory gave his team the third point of the day, by winning 2&1.
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