RYDER CUP:Paul Azinger's United States team have won the Ryder Cup for the first time since Brookline in 1999 when they defeated Nick Faldo's European side 16.5-11.5 at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky,  Paul Gallagher reports. 

Current Score: US 16.5-11.5 Europe

Sunday Singles Draw
(Irish time)

Anthony Kim defeated Sergio Garcia 5 and 4
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Kim 3-3-3-3-4-4-3-3-4-5-3-3-3-3
Garcia 3-4-3-3-4-5-6-3-4-4-4-5-5-3
Score L-1-1-1-1-2-3-3-3-2-3-4-5-5

Anthony Kim put the first point on the board for the United States in a match that had a real edge to it from the outset. Sergio Garcia appeared to be annoyed at being asked to hole a short birdie putt at the first hole and from there the interaction was frosty. In the end the mercurial Spaniard was unable to keep pace with Kim who whipped the crowds into a frenzy all around the course. By the time the match ended at the 14th the American had recorded five birdies and an eagle to end Garcia's disappointing and winless week. He only recorded one point from two halved matches.

Hunter Mahan halved with Paul Casey
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Mahan 5-3-3-3-4-4-5-2-4-4-3-4-4-2-5-4-3-5
Casey 4-5-3-4-5-4-4-4-3-4-3-3-5-2-5-3-4-4
Score +1 L L-1-2-2-1-2-1-1-1 L-1-1-1 L -1 L

Paul Casey came through a closely fought contest to claim a crucial half point by winning the 18th against rookie Hunter Mahan. The American had looked decidedly shaky in the early stages of this match but rolled in a clutch birdie putt on 17 to go one up playing the last. He went overboard with the celebrations and that may have caused him to briefly lose focus as he found the water hazard with his drive at the last. Casey kept his composure and made a solid closing birdie for an all-important half point.

Justin Leonard loses to Robert Karlsson 5 and 3
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Leonard 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4-6-3-4-4-3-4
Karlsson 4-4-3-3-4-3-5-2-4-5-3-4-4-3-3
Score L L L+1+1+2+2+3+3+4+4+4+4+4+5

Robert Karlsson put the first European point on the board with a convincing 5 and 3 win over former British Open champion Justin Leonard. The opening three holes were halved in pars before the tall Swede found his range and set about building a four hole lead by the time they reached the 10th. There was no barrage of birdies like other matches but Karlsson closed the match out at the 15th when a run of four pars was good enough to get over the finish line.

Phil Mickelson loses to Justin Rose 3 and 2
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Mickelson 4-4-3-3-4-5-5-3-4-5-3-4-3-3-3-3
Rose 4-4-3-3-4-4-4-3-4-4-3-3-3-3-4-3
Score L-L L L-L+1+2+2+2+3+3+4+4+3+3

Justin Rose did a thoroughly professional job on Phil Mickelson whose singles record goes from bad to worse as he lost 3 and 2 to the Englishman. Lefty's game was scrappy all afternoon and he went three down after 11 holes. Rose recorded seven birdies in all and the winning stroke came with a 30 foot birdie putt across the 16th green to record an impressive three points from a possible four on his Ryder Cup debut.

Kenny Perry defeated Henrik Stenson 3 and 2
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Perry 3-4-2-3-3-4-3-3-4-6-2-4-3-4-3-4
Stenson 3-5-3-3-3-3-6-3-4-4-3-3-4-3-4-4
Score L-1-2-2-3-2-3-3-3-2-3+2+3+2+3+3

Local favourite Kenny Perry whipped the crowd into a frenzy all afternoon. The veteran opened with three birdies in the first five holes and by the 11th hole he was three up and the writing was on the wall for Henrik Stenson. Despite needing treatment on the ninth fairway for a back problem it didn't stop the Kentucky native reeling off seven birdies and an eagle, scoring that the ice-cool Stenson simply couldn't match.

Boo Weekley defeated Oliver Wilson 4 and 2
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Weekley 4-4-2-3-3-4-3-2-4-4-3-4-4-3-4-3
Wilson 4-3-3-3-4-4-4-3-4-5-2-3-4-4-3-3-4
Score L+1 L L-1-1-2-3-3-4-4-4-4-4-3-4

Boo Weekley imitated a jockey whipping his horse when riding in the Kentucky Derby as he walked off the first tee. It was thoroughly embarrassing stuff and the white socks didn't help. However, there was nothing funny about the American's golf game as chants of "Booo" were matched with a rash of birdies plus an eagle at the seventh. He reached the turn in just 29 strokes. Weekley didn't make a single bogey against the quietly spoken Oliver Wilson. He closed out the contest in style with a final birdie at the 16th.

JB Holmes defeated Soren Hansen 2 and 1
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Holmes 4-4-2-3-3-4-6-4-4-7-3-4-4-2-4-3-3
Hansen 3-4-3-3-4-5-5-3-4-5-4-4-4-4-3-4-4
Score +1+1 L L-1-2-1 L L+1 L L L -1 L -1-2

There was a late substitute in this match - not a player but a caddy. Soren Hansen's bagman John Graham injured his back when lifting luggage and was replaced by the experienced Billy Foster. Hansen may wish he had been substituted for although he exchanged early birdies with JB Holmes, the big-hitting American turned the screw to close out the match on the 17th. He did so in trademark style by launching a drive over 350yards before spinning a lob wedge to within two feet of the hole for his sixth birdie of the day.

Jim Furyk defeated Miguel Angel Jimenez 2 and 1
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Furyk 3-4-3-3-5-4-4-3-5-4-3-4-3-3-3-5-4
Jimenez 4 4-4-3-4-3-4-4-4-6-4-4-4-3-3-4-4
Score -1-1-2-2-1 L L -1 L -1-2-2-3-3-3-2-2

Jim Furyk secured the winning point for the United States with his 2 and 1 win over Miguel Angel Jimenez. The American raced into a two hole lead in the early stage but the Spaniard got back on level terms by the turn with Jimenez holing a bunker shot at the sixth. Furyk had six birdies in all and his par at 17 was enough to end the contest as the gathered masses went wild in celebration as the Americans recorded their first win since Brookline in 1999.

Stewart Cink v Graeme McDowell
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Cink 4-3-2-3-4-4-6-3-5-4-3-5-4-3-4-4-4
McDowell4-3-3-3-4-4-3-3-4-4-4-4-3-3-4-4-4
Score L L-1-1-1-1 L L+1+1 L+1 +2+2+2+2+2

The Irish contingent were in full voice chanting: "There's only one Gmac" (McDowell's nickname) ahead of the Portrush man setting off in his match against Stewart Cink. From a personal standpoint it has been a good Ryder Cup debut for McDowell who ended the week with a 2 and 1 win over Stewart Cink. The American seized the advantage in the early stages but the Irishman was one up by the turn and never looked back, carding four birdies and an eagle in all. The 29-year-old won 2.5 points from a possible four.

Steve Stricker lost to Ian Poulter 3 and 2
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Stricker 4-3-3-4-4-5-5-3-4-4-3-4-3-3-4
Poulter 3-3-3-3-4-4-5-3-3-5-3-3-3-4-4
Score +1+1+1+2+2+3+3+3+4+3+3+4+4+3+3

Ian Poulter was the main talking point coming into this Ryder Cup and his wild card pick has been totally vindicated. He was the only player in the European side played all five matches and secured his fourth point of the week with a 3 and 2 win over Steve Stricker. Poulter raced out of the blocks with four threes on the trot and was three up at the halfway point. By the time he got over the finish line he at the 16th he had notched up six birdies.

Ben Curtis defeted Lee Westwood 2 and 1
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Curtis 3-4-3-3-5-4-4-3-4-5-3-4-4-2-3-4-3
Westwood 4-3-3-3-4-3-5-3-4-3-4-5-3-3-4-4-4
Score -1 L L L+1+2+1+1+1+2+1 L +1 L -1-1-2

It was after the Lord Mayor's Show stuff by the time Lee Westwood's match with Ben Curtis came to a conclusion. With the American win already secured the only thing to play for was personal Ryder Cup statistics. On this occasion the former British Open champion closed with three birdies in his last four holes to deny Westwood 2 and 1. The American rookie won one-and-a-half points out of a possible three.

Chad Campbell defeated Pádraig Harrington 2 and 1
Hole 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18
Par 4-4-3-4-4-4-5-3-4 -5 -3 -4 -4 -3 -4 -4 -4 -5
Campbell 5-4-3-3-4-4-6-3-3-5-4-5-4-3-3-5-4
Harrington 3-5-2-4-5-6-5-3-4-5-4-4-4-3-5-5-4
Score +1 L+1 L -1-2-1-1-2-2-2-1-2-1-2-2-2

The three-time major winner Pádraig Harrington was Europe's anchorman but in the end the outcome of his match against Chad Campbell didn't matter. On the day Harrington's figures didn't make for good reading as he only made two birdies and had six dropped shots. Campbell wasn't much better but he did enough to deny the Dubliner by a 2 and 1 margin. Overall a disappointing Ryder Cup for Harrington who only returned a half point from four outings.

Ryder Cup Results

Friday

Foursomes
(USA names first)

United States 3 Europe 1

Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim halved with Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson
Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan bt Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey 3 and 2
Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell bt Justin Rose and Ian Poulter 1 hole
Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk halved with Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia

Fourballs

United States 2.5 Europe 1.5

Mickelson and Kim bt Harrington and Graeme McDowell 2 holes
Steve Stricker and Ben Curtis lost to Poulter and Rose 4 and 2
Leonard and Mahan bt Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez 4 and 3
JB Holmes and Boo Weekley halved with Westwood and Soren Hansen

Match position at end of first day

United States 5 1/2 Europe 2 1/2

Saturday

Foursomes

United States 1.5 Europe 2.5

Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell lost to Ian Poulter and Justin Rose 4 and 3
Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan halved with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Graeme McDowell
Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim lost to Henrik Stenson and Oliver Wilson 2 and 1
Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry bt Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson 3 and 1

Fourballs

United States 2 Europe 2

Boo Weekley & J B Holmes bt Lee Westwood & Soren Hansen 2 and 1
Ben Curtis & Steve Stricker halved with Sergio Garcia & Paul Casey
Jim Furyk & Kenny Perry lost to Ian Poulter & Graeme McDowell 1 hole
Phil Mickelson & Hunter Mahan halved with Henrik Stenson & Robert Karlsson

Total Score
USA 9 Europe 7