GOLF/ RYDER CUP USA 16.5 Europe 11.5:THE GAMBLER has a gut instinct, the statistician a logical mind that consumes numbers. Yesterday, the twain met; and Europe's time as custodians of the Ryder Cup ran out as the US - who had jumped out of the traps on Friday like scalded cats - completed a wire-to-wire victory at Valhalla Golf Club, on the outskirts of Louisville, to reclaim the trophy for the first time since 1999.
Europe's captain Nick Faldo had gambled on a running order that put many of his so-called big guns towards the tail-end. However, Jim Furyk's two hole win over Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez brought the USA over the finishing line before the bottom order could count. Faldo's ploy failed. And, all in all, it was a master-class of captaincy from his opposite number, Paul Azinger, who energised his team - and the crowd - to the extent that the final score, 16½ to 11½, fully justified their superiority.
Having carried a 9-7 lead into the final day's singles, the USA required five and a half points to win. Azinger, playing the numbers game, felt their time had come. And it did, spear-headed by the sizzling golf of the team's youngest player, Anthony Kim, who set the trend for a final day's blitz with a thorough dismantling of Sergio Garcia, so long Europe's conquistador. This time, the conquerors became the conquered. The defeat was the heaviest for Europe since Walton Heath in 1981.
Not that the American galleries came out with too many friends among the European players.
"I was abused all week and the behaviour of the American galleries was shameful," said Lee Westwood, referring to crowds who had been stoked up to be the "13th man" on the US team.
When the time came for the USA to find redemption for past failings, it was Furyk who got the winning point, albeit in an anti-climatic fashion. A conceded short putt for par from Jimenez on the 17th green pressed the button for an outpouring of emotion that, in these parts, is normally only reserved for Kentucky Derby day. Making it all the sweeter for the home fans was that fact that two of their own, Kenny Perry and JB Holmes, contributed hugely.
As Boo Weekley put it afterwards, "We needed to win . . . badly. We had to show we still got game, still got heart."
Nobody could question the USA's heart or desire, certainly not on this occasion. Having been on the wrong end of 18½ to 9½ spankings for the past two Ryder Cups - at Oakland Hills in Detroit in 2004 and at The K Club in Straffan in 2006 - it was time for the Americans to prove a point. They did, and with an impressive display that saw many players react to Azinger's exhortations to stand up to the plate.
For much of a sultry day, the Americans increased the heat index with some magnificent golf. Kim led from the front, out-duelling Garcia with the sort of authority that indicated a new major presence has arrived. The 23-year-old Kim beat Garcia by 5 and 4, and Hunter Mahan halved with Paul Casey, while other singles wins from Perry (by 3 and 2 over Henrik Stenson), from Weekley (by 4 and 2 over Oliver Wilson), by Holmes (by 2 and 1 over Soren Hansen) and, then, by Furyk (by 2 and 1 over Jimenez) guaranteed success.
The icing on the cake for the Americans was later applied by Ben Curtis, who beat Lee Westwood by 2 and 1, while Chad Campbell completed the USA's revival with a 2 and 1 victory over Pádraig Harrington. The failure of Garcia and Harrington - the team's two highest-ranked players - to ignite over the three days proved to be especially costly for Faldo.
Robert Karlsson, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter were the only European players to win their matches yesterday. In Poulter's case, it was vindication for his wild card selection from Faldo, as he finished with four points from a possible five. But it was a hollow satisfaction.
Still, McDowell was another of those players who could walk away with head held high. Yesterday, the 29-year-old showed resilience when clinging to an early onslaught from Stewart Cink before going all-square with a conceded eagle putt on the seventh, moving ahead on the ninth and eventually finishing his debut Ryder Cup appearance on the 17th. This time, though, the Ryder Cup was owned and controlled by the United States. That hasn't happened for a long, long time.
SINGLES RESULTS
A Kim beat S Garcia 5 and 4
H Mahan halved with P Casey AS
J Leonard lost to R Karlsson 5 and 3
P Mickelson lost to J Rose 3 and 2
K Perry beat H Stenson 3 and 2
B Weekley beat O Wilson 4 and 2
JB Holmes beat S Hansen 2 and 1
J Furyk beat MA Jimenex 2 and 1
C Cink lost to G McDowell 2 and 1
S Stricker lost to I Poulter 3 and 2
B Curtis beat L Westwood 2 and 1
C Campbell beat P Harrington 2 and 1