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| Sun 29-Sep-2002 21:17 (GMT) |
| This Ryder Cup Turns on One Captain's Big Decision |
SUTTON COLDFIELD, England (AP) – The more Curtis Strange raced around the course in his golf cart Sunday, the less there was for him to do.
Most of that was already settled the night before when European Captain Sam Torrance took a huge gamble on momentum that paid off in a surprisingly lopsided Ryder Cup win for Europe.
With every roar that echoed through The Belfry, the American players seemed to get increasingly shaky. If they needed any more reminders about what was happening, the sea of blue letters on the scoreboards at every hole told the story.
Strange had lost a Ryder Cup for the United States by blowing his match to Nick Faldo in 1995. Now he would have to answer for another — this time without ever having hit a shot.
The American captain saved Tiger Woods and his big guns to play last. By then, it didn't matter.
''I thought they took a hell of a gamble. If they don't do well early in my mind it's over,'' Strange said. ''They got blue on the board in the four matches early and the crowd got into it and inspired the rest of the team.''
That was precisely the scenario Torrance envisioned when he put together a lineup for Sunday's 12 singles finals loaded with Europe's best talent on the top. It wasn't a new concept. Ben Crenshaw did the same thing three years ago to help the American team roar back on the final day outside of Boston.
That team, though, was trailing 10-6 going into the final day. The score this time was tied tied 8-8.
Torrance knew, though, that Europe had only won the Sunday singles matches twice in the last 11 Ryder Cups. And on paper, a lineup that included the likes of Niclas Fasth, Pierre Fulke and Phillip Price didn't appear terribly intimidating.
America may have had the better players, but Europe had a full team eager to ride the wave of emotion. If they could get out early, anything could — and did — happen.
''It was a risk but in life you don't get rewards without risking,'' Colin Montgomerie said. ''Sam risked it today and it paid off.''
Montgomerie was a big reason why. He went off first and was back in plenty of time to watch the strategy play out after beating Scott Hoch 5 and 4. Behind Montgomerie was the emotional leader of the team, Sergio Garcia, followed by Darren Clarke, Bernhard Langer and Padraig Harrington.
''I've never seen anyone front-load like that,'' Strange said.
With Montgomerie's early dominance and most of the other Europeans playing well, the roars grew bigger and bigger, bouncing from corner to corner of The Belfry.
The American players tried to ignore them, but it was impossible.
''You hear the crowd roaring and it puts more pressure on you. You know your team isn't doing well,'' Mickelson said.
''It was awfully loud out there,'' Verplank said.
Strange was in his golf cart going from match to match, trying to figure out a way to stem the tide. To some, he offered words of encouragement. Others, he simply let play.
In the end, though, all he could do was watch helplessly as Paul McGinley sank an 8-footer to snuff out the last slim American chance and touch off a huge celebration around the 18th green.
''The fans ought to be congratulated,'' Strange said. ''It's like playing against the 13th man today. I think the people carried the second half of their field. Look at Price, he beat Mickelson into the ground.''
The American captain never saw it coming. Without knowing the European pairings, he put out a traditional lineup that finished with his top players — Davis Love III, Mickelson and Tiger Woods.
That made sense except for one thing — the Americans didn't figure in the possibility the Cup might be decided before Woods ever finished.
''If it came down to Tiger Woods and he birdied the last three holes, Curtis would have looked like a genius,'' Love said.
Instead, by the time Woods teed off the U.S. team was already trailing in seven matches. By the time he hit his approach shot to the 18th hole, the Europeans had already been celebrating so much the green had to be cleared so Woods and Jesper Parnevik could finish.
Woods didn't play well, shooting a 73 in his tie with Parnevik. Love could only manage a tie, too, and Mickelson got blitzed by Phillip Price.
Still, Strange was left wide open for the inevitable second-guessing to begin, though his players stood behind him.
''We all discussed it. We huddled together and it was a great strategy,'' Paul Azinger insisted. ''They just played great, not a whole lot you can do about that.''
Questions will come from others, though, just as some still wonder about 1999 European captain Mark James' decisions on the final day of the big American comeback outside of Boston.
Indeed, the first question posed to Strange by a British journalist was how he felt in ''giving away'' the cup.
''We put top players at the start. We wanted a point or two early,'' Strange said. ''When you're thinking about Love, Mickelson and Woods at the end, even if they (Europe's players) do well, I like mine at the end.
''This was just clearly inspired by the crowd.''
Copyright © 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Sam Torrance
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