It has been called the greatest Ryder Cup in history and surely none of the tens of thousands present at The K Club, or the one billion people watching the event live on TV would disagree!For noise, passion and emotion, The 36th Ryder Cup, played for the first time in Ireland, is unmatched. Europe, with arguably their finest team performance ever, made history by winning the Samuel Ryder Trophy for a third consecutive time.
From the courageous Darren Clarke, who was carried along on a wave of home support, to the sensational Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie, once more, the heartbeat of the European team, Captain Ian Woosnam had a dozen dynamic heroes. Just as at Oakland Hills, two years earlier, the American side were again overwhelmed by the record score of 18 points to 9.
As Tiger toiled on day one, it was Garcia who inspired the home side, and on day two, Paul Casey was the ace in the European pack with a hole in one, as Woosnam's elite surged 10-6 ahead.
Woods returned to form in the final day singles, but it was all too late for the USA as Monty led from the front and the scoreboard was soaked in European blue. "This one is for Heather!" declared home skip Woosie.
