Rory's Glory (10 page)

Professional golfers are generally honest and there is no reason to suggest here that anybody was trying to cheat or gain an unfair advantage. Earlier in the book we saw how Luke Donald questioned Rory over his ball and Rory was penalised as a result.

The ‘Macs' felt it was 50/50 and that was fair. The Americans felt the ball was far enough away from the sprinkler that it did not constitute a free drop – also fair. So I contacted well known European Tour referee John Paramor about the case.

Now, there is no actual direct reference to ‘sprinkler heads' (nor has there ever been) in the updated Rules of Golf. So, this is what John Paramor told me and it seems evident that he would have done the exact same thing as the referee who ruled that day:

Sprinkler heads are obstructions by definition - anything artificial - and clearly it is immovable. Therefore Rule 24-2 applies and if a sprinkler head interferes with a player's stance or area of intended swing, the player is entitled to relief without penalty. If the player wishes to take relief, he must find the nearest point where there is no longer any interference from the obstruction and drop his ball within one club-length of this point, not nearer the hole or on a putting green. In the Ryder Cup match you cite, the player felt there was interference to his intended swing but Jim Furyk and the referee disagreed.

Graeme and Rory's reaction stunned the Yanks who must have regretted calling for the referee. The Northern Ireland aces went on a spree winning five out of eight holes to the 11
^th
. They found themselves 3-up with the Americans shell shocked and running out of holes.

The glorious unpredictability of the Cup and all its pressures took hold again. The Europeans then faltered in the face of an American blitzkrieg. After winning three out of four holes both teams were back where they began at the very first hole – all square.

As the four golfers and their caddies stood on the 18
^th
tee, ready to give their all one last time, you could hear a pin drop. The pressure, as only this event can throw up, must have been enormous.

Something had to give. Would it be the Irish pair who had squandered a handsome 3-up lead, or would the Yanks continue their momentum and win the day? Brandt Snedeker cracked.

He hit a very poor drive off the tee and as hard as Jim Furyk tried to retrieve the situation, he could not. They bogeyed the hole and a par from McDowell was enough for the Europeans to win the very first tie of 2012, 1-up.

Rory had another precious point on his Ryder resume but there was no time to gloat or go to the media and tell how it was. Tieing in with typical tradition, he and G-Mac headed back out on the course to show support to their team mates.

By the end of the morning foursome session, both teams were tied at two points each. Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley inflicted a first ever defeat on Luke Donald in foursomes. He and Sergio Garcia were well and truly put in their place and lost 4 and 3.

The USA then took the lead when Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson defeated Lee Westwood and Francesco Molinari 3 and 2. However, wildcard Ian Poulter came to Europe's rescue as he and Justin Rose enjoyed a thrilling 2 and 1 win over Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker.

McIlroy and McDowell went out again for the afternoon fourballs where they faced a daunting task taking on Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley who had been awesome against Garcia and Donald.

After just a few holes things were looking bad, as all around the course the local crowds were hollering themselves into a right frenzy. Mickelson and Bradley began where they left off and tore into the Irishmen.

They were 3-up through three holes and then 4-up through the eighth hole. Although that deficit was cut to 2-down, Mickelson sealed victory on the 17
^th
with another one of his moments of magic and genius.

Standing over his tee shot at the 193-yard par three and seeing water all around the front of the green, and with Rory and G-Mac and Bradley standing looking at him, he unleashed his shot high over Lake Kadijah.

When his ball landed, the greatest explosion of noise reverberated all over the course like a cannon booming off. You know that noise you hear – ‘plump' or ‘thud' – when you are in the vicinity of a ball land on a green. Well, this was neither. It was a ‘boom'!

The match was over. Lefty's ball finished stone dead three feet from the pin. All four players shook hands after neither European ever looked like obtaining an unlikely hole-in-one to half the match. The American pair won 2 and 1.

It had been a most memorable day for Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson and their day was made complete when two more USA pairings secured wins. In the first match out, Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson slaughtered poor Peter Hanson and Paul Lawrie 5 and 4.

Then two big surprises unfolded. Firstly, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar easily beat Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer 3 and 2, before the European Captain's second wildcard choice helped to save the day for Europe.

Nicolas Colsaerts enjoyed a dream debut as he and Lee Westwood secured an unlikely looking win over mighty Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. The US looked set to win that tie, before losing it to Europe on the very last hole.

That proved to be one of the turning points in what would eventually turn out to be a gripping Ryder Cup. Europe trailed by two points overnight after the first day's play, but as Rory McIlroy stated afterwards:

It's not actually that bad and for a while this afternoon it looked like it was going to be a very bad day. We're only two points behind with eight to play for on Saturday so we're still in a decent position. We're pretty strong on foursomes so if we get a good start in the morning and even things up that would be great.

Davis Love created a sensation when he announced his Saturday morning foursomes next day. He dropped Tiger Woods. Now it can be dressed up and camouflaged in any manner the American Captain sees fit but the fact is Woods (and Stricker) were dropped.

Tiger was deemed not to be the player to help increase the United States lead as he was not in good enough form. He and Stricker lost their two matches the previous day. Tiger would instead be brought into the afternoon fourballs.

Europe got off to the perfect required start on Saturday when Ian Poulter and Justin Rose again showed great tenacious fighting spirit to pip Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson on the last hole.

That was as good as it got for Europe that morning. The lethal cocktail of Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson absolutely destroyed Lee Westwood and Luke Donald 7 and 6. That was a real eye opener as the English pair had always been seen as so strong.

America had restored their two point advantage and they increased it to three points when Zach Johnson and Jason Duffner beat Sergio Garcia and Nicolas Colsaerts 2 and 1. The last match of the morning was crucial for Europe with Rory and Graeme facing Furyk and Snedeker again!

The Americans got off to the perfect start when winning the first hole and they maintained that advantage. Furyk and Snedeker were rock steady from tee to green as McDowell struggled.

The Europeans cut a 2-down deficit to just one with an impressive birdie on the 16
^th
but Rory's birdie attempt on the par-three 17
^th
slid just by the edge. It was another tight encounter that went the distance with the Americans playing 1-up at the last.

On the 18
^th
veteran Furyk, who has come under intense scrutiny for his lacklustre record in the Cup, zipped a sand wedge from a fairway bunker to put his partner in prime putting position.

Snedeker, who made the team on account of his tremendous putting, rolled the putt to within gimme range to close out a 1-up win. It had been a bad morning for Europe, similar to the previous afternoon, as the States stretched their lead to eight to four.

In the afternoon fourballs it looked like curtains for Europe when Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson hammered Rose and Molinari 5 and 4, which preceded Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar's last gasp 1-up win over a desperately unlucky Colsaerts and Lawrie.

'10-4, over and out' as the radio call signals the end. Next up were the bruised and battered Woods and Stricker versus Donald and Garcia. This match gave Olazabal and Europe real hope as all four golfers had been struggling thus far, particularly Woods and Stricker.

It was a 50/50 match that Europe had to win. If they lost, United States may as well have been crowned champions. It was that simple. Europe initially answered Ollie's call. They battered the Americans for the first half.

Thanks in large part to consecutive birdies from Donald on the eighth and ninth, Europe held a commanding 4-up lead. Then at the 10
^th
, Tiger responded with his first birdie of the day. Stricker hit another birdie at the 12
^th
and when Woods birdied 13 Europe were just 1-up.

Donald took the wind out of their sails with a birdie on the 15
^th
after Tiger had a disappointing miss. But Woods came back on the 16
^th
with his fourth birdie on the back nine to bring the Americans even closer at just 1-down.

The pressure was very much on Europe. In a match they had to win, they had squandered a 4-up lead and all the momentum was with Woods and Stricker. Then, after Garcia missed his birdie on the final hole, Stricker stepped forward with a birdie putt to halve the match.

He missed! The ball shaved the hole and to Europe's immense relief, they won 1-up. It was 10-5 to the Yanks and all eyes would now switch to McIlroy and new partner Poulter.

R
ory McIlroy would go on to create one of the most bizarre and unprecedented final day incidents on the climactic Sunday of the 2012 Ryder Cup, but before that, he was involved in one of the all-time greatest Ryder Cup matches on the Saturday evening. It was an epic.

Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald were pitted against Woods and Stricker in a must-win match to prevent Europe falling 11-4 down with one match remaining. There was huge relief as they held on to win on the 18
^th
after Stricker's birdie putt just missed.

That one game left involved McIlroy, minus his long term partner McDowell and now paired with Ian Poulter. Olazabal left out G-Mac who was suffering from fatigue after a below average display in his losing morning foursomes.

Playing Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson, the European pair did not seem to be gelling very well as Dufner and Johnson led for much of the rubber. Rory and Ian were 2-down through 12 holes.

Poulter then rolled in a beautiful long birdie on the 14
^th
and after winning the previous hole as well, they were all square. On the 15
^th
, the Englishman saved the day again when playing a majestic bunker shot up and down for par.

Yet another birdie on 16, after a fantastic iron shot to 15 feet, put Europe 1-up for the first time after Zach Johnson's effort for a half rolled past. With just two holes left to play, the United States battled back and birdied the 17
^th
.

However, Europe had a birdie chance on that same hole. After a great iron shot to 10 feet, Poulter rammed home the putt and he roared and clenched his fist. It was only a half but his emotions told everyone that it was a step nearer to victory. There was one hole left.

‘The Poulter Show' was even more remarkable considering the torrent of abuse and taunts that he, much more so than Rory, was receiving from disrespectful American ‘fans' hiding in the cover of large crowds.

Dufner and Johnson would not give up. Disgruntled at losing their two hole lead and riled by Poulter's deranged eyes and clenched fists, they stood firm with terrific resolve. So much so that when Dufner rolled in a marvellous birdie on that final hole, America went wild.

They looked very likely to secure a half and maintain the five point lead they had coming into the match. It was well into evening now and the dew was setting on the grass which made Ian Poulter's next putt even more difficult.

Again, it was for a half but a half to give Europe a 1-up win. It was a putt of fully 10 of the longest feet Poulter, McIlroy and Europe had ever seen. On the plus side, he was in the zone. His adrenalin was sky high and he was playing brilliantly.

Make the putt, and Europe would be 10–6 behind overnight going into the last day Singles. Miss it, and America would get a crucial half-point and that five point lead. TV cameras, press cameras and microphones awaited the moment as he stood over the ball.

All the players and captains from both teams were gathered on the green, standing next to friends, wives and girlfriends. ‘Sweet hair!' someone yelled as he lined it up. Then just as his putter hit the ball, one last insult echoed out from somewhere, ‘Nice shoes!”

As the ball travelled you could hear hundreds of motorised zooms from cameras like a swarm of bees. It fell in the hole. There were shrieks, gasps and groans from the hugely partisan crowd and yelps and cheers from the European contingent.

Poulter turned around and as McIlroy walked swiftly over to offer an outstretched wrist, and then to hug him, the look from Poulter said it all. The mad stare from his eyes went straight through Rory as if saying to him ‘who are you – where did you come from?'

It was as if he was so totally focussed on sinking the putt that he had no connection whatsoever to his team mate. He was in a different world. His body was drugged with such a toxic mix of adrenalin, euphoria, determination and relief that he was numb.

By God what a performance from Poulter that day! From Rory as well – and from Garcia and Donald – but everything depended on Poulter sinking that putt. 10-6 down, they still had a chance and the efforts of Poulter would do nothing but inspire Europe.

A third match for Poulter and a 100% record of three wins. The way he was performing Olazabal would surely have to put him out as the lead man in the Singles the following day – or would he?