Golf Update: Ryder Cup 2010- Team USA cards a 17 year defeat and Tiger Woods in a 15 year record.
The end was near and nobody wanted to miss it. Francesco and Edoardo Molinari had all eyes on them for ending the Ryder Cup 2010 match on the 4th of October. Two brothers, two golfers, two European attackers played a grand game for a grand finish.
Lee Westwood and Luke Donald weren’t far behind either, their half score had been a blessing for the European win and a nightmare for the American side.
The air had been filled with roaring fans chanting slogans like “there are only two Molinaris”, the fields witnessed fist bumps and chest bumps by Rory McIlory and Graeme McDowell, Miguel Angel Jimenez lit his stout cigar, the clouds had disappeared, the
rain had halted and hence the soggy-slacked off beginning of the Ryder Cup led to a tremendously grand finish at the European side.
It was a bright sunny day for the Europeans, but the Americans still had dark clouds hovering above them.
If we consider the American team and their fans for a while, their story had been the exact reverse. Phil Mickelson, who was marked as one of the major defence weapon for USA had faltered midst the game. The lefty had achieved 17 defeats in total and was
later marked as one of the worst players in the history of the Ryder Cup. Mickelson was partnered with Ricky fowler, who achieved an embarrassing 17 defeats after losing against their European rivals Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer.
Other than Mickelson and his unlucky 17, Tiger Woods unlucky was the number 15. Considering Tiger Woods previous account this year, he has had a plain bad year. The thirty four year old was first caught up in his highly controversial divorce and then several
defeats, the biggest one appearing at the Ryder Cup.
Out of the six times Woods has played against Lee Westwood, this is his fifth loss. Other than that, his latest defeat is the worst foursome defeat in a 15 year history. Woods with his partner Steve Stricker lost to Lee Westwood and Luke Donald with a score
of 6 and 5.
Their match had been for a mere forty five minutes at the after-rain commencement and had set a bad beginning for the American side and their recovery. Steve Stricker, who had been able to survive the first two rounds, failed to play satisfactory at the
last. The Europeans had been ruthless in handing the defeat to the Yanks and Woods face had turned like a stone till the 11th tee.
Europeans knew the Americans were doing well in the first rounds, so they focused on holding an early lead on the game. At the 11th hole, Wood played his tee-shot to drop the ball six feet short of the hole. Westwood however, sent his ball two
feet further than woods maintaining only a 4 feet distance from the hole.
To further Woods misery, Stricker missed his shot and handed the Europeans a point. After the crowd subdued in its screams and roars to support the Europeans, the Westwood-Donald combo ended their play at the 13th hole with a half point. Stricker
was supposed to putt for the win but he missed it.
Westwood said that playing with Woods has its own advantage. He says that when the game is with Tiger Woods, the biggest motivation is that you got nothing to lose. The leader boards stayed a navy blue colour all morning till the end of the match and handed
the victory to the Europeans with a number 17 and 15 as a frightening call to the USA team.
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