Europe wins back Ryder Cup
Europe has reclaimed the Ryder Cup after winning the match 14½-13½.
The home team had led 9½-6½ overnight as the rain-delayed event was extended into an unprecedented fourth day.
After Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Miguel Angel Jimenez recorded wins following Rory McIlroy’s half, Europe could have sealed the victory before the final singles match, but 21-year-old Rickie Fowler staged a remarkable comeback in the penultimate match
against Edoardo Molinari by winning the last three holes to claim a half.
The cup will remain in Europe for the next two years, after Graeme McDowell emerged victorious in the final singles match. The US Open champion birdied on the 16th, to go two up over Hunter Mahan. When he conceded on the 17th, after his ship landed short
of the green, mass celebrations started among the players and thousands of spectators.
Europe captain Colin Montgomerie was delighted that his team was able to guide Europe to their fourth victory in five Ryder Cup matches.
Montgomerie told reporters that, "This means the world to everyone involved in the European Tour. I am so glad we won. I didn't hit a shot, yet it is a proud, proud moment for me personally. It's an amazing feeling to have won. I want to talk about how well
everyone played, because to a man they were magnificent and they all gave me 110%, which was all I could ask for."
The Scot also paid tribute to McDowell, as well as his vice-captains Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal.
He said that, "McDowell was put at the end for a very good reason. He is the US Open champion and full of confidence, and it showed because that birdie on 16 was unbelievable."
"We got off to a flier, but the US came back extremely well. Tiger Woods [who beat Francesco Molinari 4&3] showed why he's the number one in the world and all credit to their whole team, they played magnificently. I'd also like to pay tribute to my vice-captains,
because we wouldn't have won the Ryder Cup without them, so that puts their roles into context."
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