Golf Results - 03 October 2012

On Sunday the Ryder Cup came to an exciting finish when a resurgent European Team beat the odds to retain their hold on the trophy in a down-to-the-wire victory against Team USA.

As the final round unfolded at Medinah Country Club, many commentators were predicting a strong win for the United States, whose team had put in an impressive performance over the first three rounds of the tournament. The European Team started out on Sunday with eight points to catch up, but as the memory of golfing legend Seve Ballesteros inspired them, the continental superstars unleashed a phenomenal day's golf to clinch the title.

Dressed in navy blue to commemorate Ballesteros, who passed away last year after a long battle against cancer, the European Team opened the tournament with a strong performance, winning six out of eight holes in the Matchplay format which is characteristic of the Ryder Cup. Germany's Martin Kaymer kicked Europe into the lead when he beat the American Steve Stricker one-up in a riveting performance which had both American and European fans on the edge of their seats.

As the afternoon unfolded, the American and European Teams remained neck to neck, until a tie-breaking victory for Francesco Molinari at the eighteenth hole secured a victory for the visitors. Molinari beat former world number one Tiger Woods, who surprisingly missed a three-foot putt and conceded a second to the young Italian – a sign that the former champion still has moments of inconsistency as he seeks to regain his former glory.

As the hard-weathered European Team lifted the trophy at Medinah, having executed an amazing comeback on the final day of the tournament, many golf fans in the United States have been left wondering how their team could possibly have lost after such a solid performance in the first three rounds. The European victory is both a testimony to the determination of these fine players from the Continent as well as a reminder that on the golf course, nothing is ever guaranteed.

A Golf Weather
Editorial