RYDER CUP 2008 HISTORY crucial points en route to losing 15-13. The icing on the cake for the Americans was the resolute half earned by Paul Azinger against his opposing skipper at Valhalla, Nick Faldo, after the Englishman hit a hole in one on the 14th. At Oak Hill in 1995, Bernhard Gallacher led Europe again, desperate for victory after two defeats. Ultimately, it came down to the brilliance of Faldo under extreme pressure. At 9-7 down after the second day, Europe’s chances did not look good but against the odds they closed the gap to one point and all appeared to depend on the singles between Faldo and wild-card pick Curtis Strange. One down with two to play, Faldo scrambled a winning par at the 17th. But at the titanic, par-four 18th, he faced a third shot of 93 yards to the flag, with Strange in thick rough after two shots but odds-on to make five. Faldo, knowing he had to get down in two to keep Europe’s hopes alive, produced a beautifully judged pitch to four feet and a heroic putt to win the point with “the greatest scrambling par of my life”. Philip Walton’s subsequent victory over Jay Haas meant that Europe had regained the trophy. In recognition of Ballesteros’s enormous contribution, the 1997 Ryder Cup was staged at Valderrama in his native Spain. After some incredible play Europe took a five-point lead into the singles and eventually secured a 14.5-13.5 victory. The 1999 match at The Country Club at Brookline, near Boston, saw Europe lead 10-6 going into the last day, but prophetic words by captain Crenshaw roused the Americans. Six straight singles wins had the visitors on the run and it all came to an abrupt end when Justin Leonard holed a monster putt against Jose Maria Olazabal on the penultimate green. A fortnight before the 2001 match at The Belfry, the September 11th atrocities occurred and the match was postponed for 12 months. When September 2002 arrived, a gripping but chivalrous struggle unfolded between two well-matched sides, setting a benchmark for excellence of performance and conduct. The sides were level after two days and the Americans, with Woods in the vanguard, were favourites to prevail in the singles. But while US captain Strange had loaded his heavy artillery into the bottom half of the final-day draw, his counterpart Torrance had done the opposite. Colin Montgomerie was the cutting edge and by the time he had carved up Scott Hoch 5&4, Europe were on their way to a famous victory. Langer, Padraig Harrington and Thomas Bjorn all followed suit while modest Welshman Phillip Price gave world No 2 Phil Mickelson a beating he will never forget. But it was left to unsung Irishman Paul McGinley to apply the coup de grace by holing from 12 feet on the home green to wrest the trophy from America’s grasp. And so it was deja vu for Torrance as he again celebrated with tears and champagne on The Belfry’s 18th green. Two years later at Oakland Hills, Europe, inspired by their captain Langer, romped to a crushing 18.5-9.5 win – their biggest margin of victory. American skipper Hal Sutton’s ploy of pairing Woods with Mickelson did not produce the intended results and, appropriately, the winning putt was converted by Montgomerie, who could well have won five majors had he played down the stretch with the conviction he always displays at the Ryder Cup. Unbelievably this scoreline was repeated in the most recent match at a soggy K Club in Ireland two years ago. This time the European talisman was Ulster’s Darren Clarke, who had lost his wife, Heather, to cancer just six weeks previously. Clarke was handed a wildcard by skipper Ian Woosnam and repaid that faith by teaming up with fellow wildcard Lee Westwood to defeat Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco on the opening day and then Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk on the Saturday before he holed the winning putt in his Sunday singles match with Zach Johnson and dissolved into floods of tears. ■ Left Spanish golfers, such as Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros, helped end the US dominance Below Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam line up a putt at Kiawah Island in 1991 CLASSIC SPORTS SERIES / 187