BLOOMFIELD HILLS, 21 September 2004 — Europe retained the Ryder Cup in record-breaking style on Sunday after dominating the last-day singles matches against the United States for an 18 1/2 to 9 1/2 winning scoreline.
Wildcard selection Colin Montgomerie secured victory with a one-hole win against David Toms before the Americans slumped to their heaviest defeat in the competition’s 77-year history. The point gained by the 41-year-old Montgomerie took Europe to an unassailable total of 14-1/2 points, and that soon became 16-1/2 after rookies Ian Poulter of Britain and Frenchman Thomas Levet won against Chris Riley and Fred Funk.
Irishman Paul McGinley, who holed the winning putt for Europe at The Belfry in 2002, then beat Stewart Cink 3 & 2 as the European surpassed their record winning total of 16-1/2 points achieved at The Belfry in 1985. Padraig Harrington put the icing on the cake beating veteran Jay Haas two up in the final game.
“I’m so happy for all the guys,” said a jubilant European captain Bernhard Langer. “We achieved it much easier than we thought we would. We beat one of the strongest US teams in Ryder Cup history on their home soil. This is just unbelievable.
Europe had to hold off an early challenge by the US before clinching the trophy for the ninth time — and a fourth success in the last five matches.
US captain Hal Sutton, said: “I made mistakes. I take full responsibility for the mistakes that I made. I thought there was no bad way to pair the 12 guys we had. Obviously the pairings we set didn’t create any charisma.”
Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk won the first two matches of the day after the Americans, trailing 11-5 overnight, made a fast start, but victories by Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood and a half by Darren Clarke put Europe on the brink of victory.
Westwood recovered after trailing American Kenny Perry by two after seven holes to win one up after Clarke had squared his match with Davis Love III and Garcia rallied with three birdies in a row from the ninth to beat Phil Mickelson 3 & 2. That set the stage for Montgomerie to seal the win in his seventh Ryder Cup.
“We had 12 fantastic players out there today. We had a strong top, middle and bottom,” a tearful Montgomerie told reporters after preserving his unbeaten Ryder Cup record in seven singles matches. “I’ve never been able to say that before. It doesn’t matter who holed the final putt because this is a team event. But this means more to me than most. It’s super.”
The Americans had kept alive their faint hopes of a miracle comeback by going ahead in six of the first 10 singles encounters, but Europe rallied in bright afternoon sunshine as the galleries of 40,000 became more subdued.
Woods said after his victory: “I think it’s crucial for the guys behind us if they are down to at least just get a half a point somehow and don’t give the Europeans a full point. If we can do that, you never know what could happen.”
But it was not to be as the Europeans swept to victory.
Bryant Captures First PGA Tour Title at Texas Open
In San Antonio, Texas, Bart Bryant captured the first PGA Tour title of his career here Sunday with his victory in the $3.5 million Texas Open.
Bryant, who carded a course-record 60 on Saturday, fired a three-under-par 67 on Sunday for a 72-hole total of 19-under 261, three shots better than runner-up Patrick Sheehan (66).
With his major medical exemption to expire at the end of the year and his earnings of less than $261,000 nowhere near the top 125, Bryant needed to make something happen to avoid a return trip to Q-School or the Nationwide development tour.
He did just that, collecting $630,000 along with the exemption. Sheehan finished at 264, one shot better than Todd Fischer (67) and Dean Wilson (66).
Han Beats Canadian Kane in LPGA Playoff
In Portland, Oregon, Hee-Won Han sank a five-foot birdie putt at the first playoff hole Sunday to beat Lorie Kane and claim the LPGA Safeway Classic crown won by Annika Sorenstam for the past two years.
South Korea’s Han began the day three shots behind co-leaders Kane, of Canada, and Candie Kung of Taiwan. She caught Kane with a five-under-par 67 for a three-round total of nine-under 207.
While Han was making her comeback, Kung fell off the pace with a par-72 and Sorenstam — the two-time defending champion — managed just a 70 as both missed the playoff.
In the playoff, both players hit solid drives onto the green, with Han in better position. From the front of the green, Kane knocked her birdie attempt some seven feet past, but made the putt coming back.
That forced Han to make her putt, and she did just that to claim the $180,000 first prize.
One of the many South Koreans making their mark on the LPGA Tour, Han won for the first time this season. Last year, she won the Big Apple Classic and the Wendy’s Championship for Children.
Kane parred the last eight holes of regulation but that was not good enough to hold off Han, who had three birdies on the back nine, including one at the par-four 18th.
South Korean Grace Park shot a 68 and finished alone in third at 208, one stroke better than Sorenstam, Kung and Kristal Parker-Manzo, whose 65 was the best round of the day. Park has nine top-three finishes this year but has won just once.
