BLOOMFIELD HILLS, 20 September 2004 — Europe retained the Ryder Cup when wildcard selection Colin Montgomerie beat David Toms of the United States by a hole in the last-day singles at Oakland Hills Country Club yesterday.
The point gained by the 41-year-old Briton took Europe to an unassailable total of 14-1/2 points.
Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk won the first two matches of the day after the Americans made a fast start, but wins by Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood and a half by Darren Clarke put Europe ahead by 13-1/2 points to 8-1/2.
Europe had led the US by a record 11-5 going into the final day, needing just three more points from the 12 singles encounters to retain the trophy they won at The Belfry in 2002.
No team in Ryder Cup history since the first match in 1927 has lost with such an advantage, although the US did famously overturn a 10-6 deficit at Brookline in 1999.
The previous best lead by a European side had been 10 1/2 to 5 1/2, in Dublin, Ohio in 1987 and at Valderrama in 1997. Both times Europe ran out winners. It was a stunning performance on Saturday, led by three rookies, playing in their first ever Ryder Cup.
The tone was set in the morning fourballs when Paul Casey and David Howell stopped the Americans dead in their tracks. In the fourballs the Americans were poised to get themselves back into the match and cut back Europe’s five-point lead. But when Casey snatched a dramatic last hole victory in the final match of the morning four-balls he brought the rampaging US machine to a grinding halt. If the 27-year-old had not made his snaking three-footer the US, still smarting after their thrashing the previous day, would have moved to within two points.
But the performance of debutant Luke Donald, playing with Sergio Garcia in the foursomes, was critical in giving Europe their virtually unbeatable lead. His closing putt on the 18th to seal victory over Jim Furyk and Fred Funk was delivered with ice-cold precision.
