Europe 4 USA 6: Colin Montgomerie rallies his team with a touch of the Churchills

By PATRICK COLLINS

Show of passion: Ian Poulter of Europe celebrates on the 17th green


On a long and memorable day in South Wales, the Ryder Cup came clambering from the swamp to take its place among the most compelling contests in world sport.

And, as the day drew to a close, the golfers of Europe were mounting a breathtaking assault upon America's hold on the trophy.

A gloriously turbulent event, with fluctuations at every turn of the page, Sam Ryder's pot does not lend itself to confident prediction. But, as the conflicting emotions started to settle last evening, the resilience of Europe's finest seemed to be winning them a competitive edge.

With the singles stretching through the final day, they will believe that a demanding task can be completed and a triumph stirringly delivered whenever this engagement should run its course.

Colin Montgomerie was seeking to sound the right notes last night.

'They don't need motivation, all they need is passion,' declared the European captain. 'They've got to want to win this, and by God they do!'

The old chap sounded positively Churchillian, but he is acutely aware of the size of the task and the immensity of the reward.


Danger threat: Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar


And, in truth, that task would be even more plausible but for the dramatic intervention of a southern gentleman named Stewart Cink. The man from Alabama had putted quite beautifully throughout, but his critical contribution was made on the 17th green when it seemed that the match was moving beyond the efforts of Cink and Matt Kuchar.

Graeme McDowell played his approach to within five feet, provoking one of the roars of the day from the hovering crowd and giving his partner, Rory McIlroy, a five-foot putt. Kuchar's approach was less successful, leaving a monster of a putt across the green.But Cink was imperturbable, confident, calculating.

He stroked the putt and watched it roll on and on and on and in! By now young McIlroy seemed visibly shaken. He stood over his own putt, and hindsight suggests he may have hurried the stroke.

In any event, it went sliding past on the left. A hole that should have been won was damagingly surrendered. A match that should have been sealed had been frittered.


Churchillian: Europe team captain Colin Montgomerie


There remained a remote chance of recovery, when Cink played an unremarkable approach to the 18th. But this time McIlroy flew a sand iron above the green and into the bunker. The Americans went capering across the green while the home crowd sunk into a hush of disappointment. It can be the cruellest game.

That crowd has played a central role at this Ryder Cup. It endured the soggy miseries of the opening day and returned in enormous numbers for yesterday's crowded programme.

A daunting sense of fairness has made it by turns cheerfully raucous and quiet as the grave. It has been respectful, appreciative and full-hearted. And the players have responded in kind.

The Molinari Brothers sound suspiciously like a circus act, but they have taken to this competition with style and verve. They punch the air, wave the arms and milk the galleries in the approved Ryder manner. They have that look - rare among sportsmen -of people who are actually enjoying themselves. Victory in the foursomes would have seen them enjoying themselves a great deal more, but they were defeated at the death by Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan and the roars were transformed from celebration to consolation.

Those roars were distributed quite impartially. Indeed, the European dimension is one of the great glories of this competition. The cheers for Miguel Angel Jimenez or Martin Kaymer are just as fervent as the support for Lee Westwood or Luke Donald.

'Europe! Europe!' is chanted like a battle cry, and it is difficult to imagine that there was ever a time when these islands took on America unaided. But one thing that never changes is the depth of American talent. For the moment, at least, these players are no longer operating in the shadow of the Tiger. Although he collaborated with Steve Stricker in a remorseless 4&3 beating of Jimenez and Peter Hanson, Stricker's was the dominant role.

Woods will never be ordinary, never less than fearsomely accomplished. But, for the moment at least, he cuts a chastening figure.

Then there is Rickie Fowler, who sounds like a refugee from EastEnders and looks like a member of an Eighties boy band. He has never won a professional trophy in his young life, but he plays like a dream and will be a recurring menace for the next decade or two.


Tiger trap: Tiger Woods hits a ball out of a bunker on the 1st hole


These are formidable competitors, yet as dusk closed in last night, they were under siege from the ferocity of the European revival. The gloom darkened, the roars grew louder, the atmosphere moved to thrilling levels. But the event was refusing to yield up its secrets. If the weather gods play fair with this corner of South Wales today, then we shall have sport to cherish through the winter and way beyond.

Reputations will be created and legends will be written.

Montgomerie will dance his triumph and delight - or he will fling himself into the slowly slurping Usk. Anything can happen - but the signs are suggesting that smiles will be worn by European faces. There can be no predictions, except that it will be wonderful. It is the Ryder Cup. It is never less than wonderful.



source :dailymail