With remarkable rally, Europe keeps Ryder Cup

MEDINAH, Ill. - Erasing some of their worst Ryder Cup memories, the Europeans wore the image of Seve Ballesteros on their sleeves and played their hearts out Sunday at Medinah Country Club to match the greatest comeback in history and head home with that precious gold trophy.

Europe got its payback for 1999 at Brookline, when the Americans roared back from the same 10-6 deficit. This rally was even more remarkable, carried out in front of a raucous American crowd that began its chants of "USA!" some three hours before the first match got under way.

Jose Maria Olazabal squeezed his eyes and fought back tears when Martin Kaymer holed a six-foot par putt to beat Steve Stricker and give Europe the point it needed to keep the Cup. This was the first Ryder Cup since Ballesteros, the soul of European golf in this event, died in May 2011 of a brain tumor. Olazabal wanted his team to wear navy blue, Seve's favorite color, and added a clever touch - his silhouette on the sleeves of their shirts.

"This one is for all of Europe," Olazabal said. "Seve will always be present with this team. He was a big factor for this event for the European side, and last night when we were having that meeting, I think the boys understood that believing was the most important thing."

Tiger Woods missed a 31/2-foot par putt on the 18th hole, then conceded a par to Francesco Molinari of about that length to halve their match. That extra half-point made it a clear-cut win for Europe, 141/2-131/2.

Woods and Stricker, the anchors in the lineup, didn't win a single match at Medinah.

Ian Poulter was the first to embrace Olazabal, which was only fitting.

Poulter gave Europe hope Saturday evening when he made five consecutive birdies to turn a loss into a win and swing momentum in Europe's favor. Poulter was up to his fist-pumping, eye-bulging tricks again on the final day, winning the last two holes in his match against U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson.

He had plenty of help. Europe's top five players in the lineup won, including Rory McIlroy, who was lucky to be playing. McIlroy thought his match was at 12:25 p.m. - it was listed on TV in Eastern, not Central, time - and needed a police escort to get to the course with 10 minutes to spare. Then he came up with key birdies to hand Keegan Bradley his first loss of the week.

The biggest match might have belonged to Justin Rose. He was on the verge of losing to Phil Mickelson when Rose holed a 12-foot par putt to halve the 16th, made a 35-foot birdie putt from the back of the 17th green to win the hole, then closed out Mickelson with a 12-foot birdie on the last hole.

Six of the 12 matches on Sunday went to the 18th hole. The Americans won only one.

The Americans also rallied from a four-point deficit to win in 1999 at Brookline. This was different, though. The Americans won big in those early matches. At Medinah, so many of them could have gone either way.

It was so close, so tense, that either side down to the very end could have won the Ryder Cup.

Stricker made an eight-foot par putt on the 18th, and Kaymer faced a par putt from six feet to win the match. If he missed, the Americans would get a half-point, and Woods was leading by 1 up over Molinari and in the middle of the 18th fairway.

Kaymer, a former No. 1-ranked player and major champion who has struggled all year, drained it, and the celebration was on.

Europe has won seven of the last nine Ryder Cups, and even more remarkable about this comeback is that the team did it on the road.

Davis Love III became the first U.S. captain to sit every player at least once before Sunday, wanting each to be fresh for the decisive day. Instead, the Americans faltered at the end - especially Jim Furyk and Stricker, two of his captain's picks.

"The plan worked the first two days," he said. "It just didn't work today."

The only U.S. points came from Dustin Johnson, who went 3-0 in this Ryder Cup; Zach Johnson; and unheralded Jason Dufner.

"We're all kind of stunned," Love said. "We know what it feels like now from the '99 Ryder Cup. It's a little bit shocking."

Martin Kaymer's six-foot par putt on the 18th hole ensured that Europe would retain the Ryder Cup by matching the greatest final-day comeback in history. Kaymer's win over Steve Stricker helped give Europe a 141/2-131/2 victory after it trailed, 10-6, going into Sunday's final round of 12 singles matches.

1. Luke Donald (E) def. Bubba Watson, 2 and 1. (10-7, U.S.)

2. Ian Poulter (E) def. Webb Simpson, 2 up. (10-8)

3. Rory McIlroy (E) def. Keegan Bradley, 2 and 1. (10-9)

4. Justin Rose (E) def. Phil Mickelson, 1 up. (10-10)

5. Paul Lawrie (E) def. Brandt Snedeker, 5 and 3. (10-11)

6. Dustin Johnson (U.S.) def. Nicholas Colsaerts, 3 and 2. (11-11)

7. Zach Johnson (U.S.) def. Graeme McDowell, 2 and 1. (12-11)

8. Sergio Garcia (E) def. Jim Furyk, 1 up. (12-12)

9. Jason Dufner (U.S.) def. Peter Hanson, 2 up. (13-12)

10. Lee Westwood (E) def. Matt Kuchar, 3 and 2. (13-13)

11. Martin Kaymer (E) def. Steve Stricker, 1 up. (13-14)

12. Tiger Woods (U.S.) halved with Francesco Molinari. (131/2-141/2)

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