SATURDAY FOURSOMES: OLIVER WILSON must have felt like the kid in the school yard who gets picked last, quietly resigned to his fate. He was the only player on either the European or American teams not to be thrust into the competitive cut and thrust of the Ryder Cup at Valhalla on the Friday.
Wearing the team uniform is not a satisfactory compensation for driving a golf cart. Deep down he knew he wouldn't be playing; the claims of his team-mates too irresistible to be ignored by European captain Nick Faldo. Wilson has never won a tournament but earned his European sweater on the back of two years of hard graft and consistency. Practice had not gone particularly well during the week but he hoped that Saturday morning might bring a reward.
Getting an opportunity is one thing but Wilson was desperate to prove his mettle. Paired alongside Sweden's Henrik Stenson, he couldn't have faced a more difficult assignment in the morning foursomes than staring down the in-form American axis of Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim, the latter taking one and a half points from two outings the previous day.
Wilson, as a rookie, had to deal with claustrophobic pressure, drawing only on hearsay and the evidence of his eyes and ears when standing on the first tee the previous day. The alternate shot format simply ramped up anxiety levels. A good start would have a settling effect but instead the fledgling European partnership found themselves four down after six holes, appearing to confirm what many anticipated as an easy point for the Americans. Adversity reveals more about a person's character but even Wilson could not have envisaged what represented a staggering turn-around in fortunes.
The European pair won the seventh, eight, 10th and 12th holes as the Americans imploded and when they won the 16th to go one up, the improbable was within touching distance. What transpired on the 17th green is something that Wilson will never forget, no matter what he goes on to achieve. Faced with a tricky 15 foot putt, exacerbated by 20 inches of break, the Englishman nervelessly rolled in the birdie putt to cement a remarkable victory.
The euphoria of victory overrides any previous misgivings so Wilson can be forgiven for claiming not to be fazed by the occasion. "I was really pleased when I saw the draw. You are always playing against great players but I wanted to play against the best.
"To be honest we didn't get off to the best of starts but it was more they got off to a good start. We stayed patient. In foursomes if you keep hitting fairways and greens you are going to get a few holes back at some stage. We felt like they (the Americans) were not going to keep up that kind of play. Once we got a bit of momentum going things started to change."
Psychologically it proved a massive catalyst for a European team that picking up two and half points from a possible four with only the partnership of Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson failing to add to the Ryder Cup holders' kitty. Crucially it had narrowed the gap between the teams to a couple of points and provided Europe with the impetus for the afternoon.
Effectively Wilson and Stenson had shredded the script and in doing so struck a blow at the core of American success the previous morning.
Kim didn't come out in the afternoon, a legacy of his faltering performance in the morning, the Europeans debunking the myth of invincibility that had shrouded "Lefty and the Kid" up to that point.
For Wilson it was a dream realised. The kid from the school yard had scored the winning goal, delighting in his new-found approbation, mobbed by team-mates.
Saturday results
FOURSOMES
(US team first)
Cink/Campbell lost to Poulter/Rose 4 and 3
Leonard/Mahan halved with Jimenez/McDowell
Mickelson/Kim lost to Stenson/Wilson 2 and 1
Furyk/Perry bt Harrington/Karlsson 3 and 1
FOURBALLS
Weekley/Holmes bt Westwood/Hansen 2 and 1 Curtis/Stricker halved with Garcia/Case
Perry/Furyk lost to Poulter/McDowell 1 up
Mickelson/Mahan halved with Stenson/Karlsson
