Ecstatic US supporters cheered their team to the echo when the Ryder Cup was regained in the 33rd staging at the Country Club in Boston yesterday. It was an astonishing performance, with the Americans achieving the greatest comeback in the 72-year history of this biennial showpiece, to win by 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.
At one stage it appeared that Dublin's Padraig Harrington was to become a European hero, delivering the point that would retain the trophy. But while he succeeded in beating Mark O'Meara, America's Justin Leonard rallied spectacularly to deprive Jose-Maria Olazabal of an anticipated European point.
In fact 15 minutes after Harrington's 18th-hole triumph, it was all over. That was when Leonard holed a monster 50ft putt on the 17th, which effectively guaranteed the additional half-point the Americans needed.
A tearful US skipper, Ben Crenshaw, claimed afterwards that he never doubted his team's ability to win. "I believed in these guys and the firepower of our early groups ignited everybody," he said. With his team 10-6 down on Saturday night, Crenshaw had said prophetically: "I'm a big believer in fate and I've got a good feeling about this."
He was proved correct in the most dramatic circumstances. The biggest previous comeback in Ryder Cup singles since the institution of a European team in 1979 was in 1995. At Oak Hill in upstate New York, the Europeans came back from 7-9 to win by 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.
The nature of this US triumph is extremely important in terms of the future of an event which generated revenues of $63 million. The huge exposure it gained throughout the US is certain to carry through to the Irish staging at the K Club in 2005.
Mark James, captain of the European side, took the risk of using seven of his players in all five matches - a formidable, physical challenge in highly competitive circumstances.
But James defended his decision, even though it meant that three players - Jean van de Velde, Jarmo Sandelin and Andrew Coltart - failed to get a match until yesterday. "It's easy to call the shots afterwards," he said. "I've no idea whether fatigue was a factor. I simply did what I felt was right for the occasion."
When it was over, the Boston Irish community had mixed emotions. Europe had lost, but Harrington had won. In the pubs around here Boston last night, it probably seemed a fair balance.