Monty leads Europe on extraordinary charge

Colin Montgomerie placed a note above the lockers of every one of his Europe team to read when they arrived at Celtic Manor this morning.

“Team US are going to come out fast,” it read. “Make sure we come out faster.”

On the third spectacular day of what has become a historic 38th Ryder Cup, Europe’s golfers did exactly what their captain ordered with a chest-thumping, fist-pumping performance.

Now they have to drive home their 9.5-6.5 advantage in tomorrow’s singles, the first Monday finish in the event’s history.

And if they claim the trophy by taking at least five of those singles matches then you have to hand it to Montgomerie. His attention to detail has been an inspiration.

Where United States captain Corey Pavin has had his opening-ceremony faux-pas, waterproof problems and a laid-back approach which sends the United States out with little more than an ’enjoy yourself’ philosophy, Montgomerie has made winning it his life’s mission.

It is a crusade which saw him racing from hole to hole, orchestrating the crowd, insisting the greenside scoreboards illuminated the blue of Europe rather than playing action to distract the crowds. Great sporting feats are delivered by the finest of margins and Montgomerie, earnest and irascible, just might make the difference.

As Irishman Graeme McDowell explained: “Monty’s been as fired up as anyone. He’s desperate to get us charged up going to the tee.”

After another monsoon of a morning the third day could not have begun more dramatically. Zac Johnson rolled in a 40-foot putt at the eighth for the United States and then Lee Westwood responded at the 10th with a brilliant 35-foot putt which effectively drove a stake into the heart of the challenge of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in the foursomes.

And then the moment of this Ryder Cup so far, from the United States’ Jeff Overton, as he saw his approach shot to the par-four eighth sail over the flag, thud into the green eight feet past the pin and spin back into the hole.

“C’mon, c’mon,” he roared, before embarking on extended celebrations which at times resembled a scene from When Harry Met Sally.

Sport does not get much better.

And that is the thing about this mud-spattered Ryder Cup. It might have been stop-start. It might have required the 45,000 spectators on each day to squelch through a quagmire on a course battered by the Welsh weather.

It might have thrown up questions of why such an event was allowed to take place in the Usk Valley in October.

But it has been riveting in the manner the momentum has see-sawed and devastating in the fightback from Europe on the second and third days.

The Westwood statistics demonstrate the extraordinary proceedings best of all. He and partner Luke Donald raced out with three consecutive birdies until they put Woods and Stricker out of their misery on the 13th hole, the eight-foot putt sunk precisely by Westwood for a 6&5 victory which also happened to be the worst matchplay defeat of Woods’s professional career.

That margin is equivalent to Usain Bolt beating his next rival by 10 metres in the 100m; a colossal victory, and it meant Westwood had beaten Woods six times in their seven meetings in Ryder Cups.

“When you play Tiger you just up your game a bit,” was Westwood’s explanation. “We played great today. That was some scoring in foursomes competition.”

The story was similar for Europeans all over Celtic Manor.

Rory McIlroy may not have fired as Europe would have hoped considering his reputation as the most exciting young player in the game but he was well managed by his dependable Irish compatriot McDowell and the pair brought home the second foursomes 3&1 against Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan.

In the fourballs Ross Fisher carried the off-form Padraig Harrington to victory over Jim Furyk and Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter’s exuberant celebrations were in full flow along with Martin Kaymer against Rickie Fowler and an out-of-sorts Phil Mickelson, pointless after three games.

It was not that the United States played badly. Fowler’s chip-in from a bunker at the 11th was sublime. Yet the scoreboards maintained their bright blue hue with Peter Hanson and Miguel Jimenez claiming victory at the 18th against Bubba Watson and Overton.

And when Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar looked to be heading for America’s sole point of the session against the Molinari brothers, up stepped Francesco to sink a four-foot putt for a birdie on the last to claim an unlikely but potentially crucial half.

If it was a fast start, it was also a splendid finish. Just what the captain ordered.