Europe’s knockout blow

THOSE convinced that European success in this Ryder Cup is a foregone conclusion should temper their optimism with a little caution and remember the happenings at Brookline in 1999.

Admittedly, it’s easy to be swept along on yesterday’s tide of blue. Colin Montgomerie’s team leads 9½ to 6½ and seem to ready to deliver the knockout blow today after winning yesterday’s weather interrupted third session by a magnificent 5½ to ½.

On Saturday evening, Montgomerie demanded more passion from his team. Even as tough a taskmaster as Monty could hardly complain at the response he received and in turn he was in no frame of mind to feel any sympathy for the Americans.

Indeed, he was quick to twist the knife even deeper into their psyche by making much of the 6&5 thrashing suffered by Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, their most high-profile pairing which had gone unbeaten throughout last year’s President’s Cup, at the hands of the immense Lee Westwood and the rock steady Luke Donald. It was an embarrassing result for world number one Woods, although there was little he and Stricker could do as their inspired rivals finished five under par for the 13 holes. On Saturday, Montgomerie made no secret of his belief that Westwood was his main man at Celtic Manor and his words were borne out yesterday. But Westwood downplayed his importance.

“There are 12 main men on this team. What he was referring to is that I’ve played more Ryder Cups than anyone else on the team. He told me that he wanted somebody to set the tone and so he sent me out early. I tried to do that by coming out fast. Getting blue figures on the board was what he was referring to.”

Westwood’s experience was vital and it was also a crucial factor as Pádraig Harrington claimed his second win of the match in the company of Ross Fisher against Jim Furyk and Dustin Johnson. Once again, the Irishman was far from his best and apart from his first green birdie on Saturday evening and another for a half at the long 9th yesterday, he hardly came in at all. In contrast, Fisher had six birdies, finishing the match off with a great two at the 17th. Montgomerie, however, insisted that he had selected Harrington for a good reason that has now been seen to be well justified while Fisher readily agreed that “the help I had from Paddy yesterday and today was huge. I struggled with Poults (Ian Poulter) on the first day but when you’ve got a three-time champion reading your putts, you’ve got a fair chance. All I had to do was start it on-line and every time they seemed to drop. So it was a tremendous help and to get two points with Paddy was, well, it was great.”

Harrington spoke of how they were expecting an American backlash because of the lead the Europeans held overnight in each of the six matches.

“Zach Johnson holed a putt straight off the bat to win the hole against Rory and G-Mac and we were kind of thinking, ‘here it comes’, but thirty seconds later there was a cheer from the 10th green as Lee holes his putt,” he said. “We knew then there was some response there and that was very important for the whole team. All of the work was on us being up in six matches so to get away with five and a half was phenomenal. It is probably the Sunday we all dreamt about at the start of the week but unfortunately this time there’s a Monday.”

You couldn’t help feeling that the euphoria in the European camp and among the 45,000 fans was caused to a large extent because several of the so-called lesser lights came good. No two players fought harder to make the side than Miguel-Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson, who made their efforts worthwhile by beating Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton on the 18th.

It was there, too, that Francesco Molinari atoned for missing some gilt-edged chances earlier by knocking in a three-foot birdie putt so that he and his brother Edoardo could snatch a half point from their clash with Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar. Montgomerie later spoke more highly of the Italians more than another member of his side. Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer completed a thoroughly miserable few days for Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler by winning a contest of considerable ebb and flow by 2&1. It was a third straight defeat for “Lefty”, who has hardly holed a putt of any significance so far.

Initially, Montgomerie seemed more over the top than any of his players. It was as if they knew that the US have scored 7 ½ points or more in the singles since 1979 – and that’s what they need to do this time as well to retain the trophy.

The singles order will be carefully perused to see if it allows Corey Pavin’s battered American team to see any light at the end of the tunnel. Not surprisingly, Monty has sent Westwood out to get more blue on the board against the strangely subdued looking Steve Stricker while he will certainly expect more of the same from McIlroy at number two against Stewart Cink. Corey Pavin has gone for experience at the top and bottom of the order but Montgomerie may well have trumped him.

Pavin may be entitled to believe that Mickelson, in spite of his wretched form to date, will beat Peter Hanson at number ten and that Woods will do likewise two matches earlier against Francesco Molinari. On the other hand, Europe won’t fear anything from the last two matches on the course, Harrington against Zach Johnson and McDowell against Mahan. By then, anyway, the issue may well have been already decided.