Woohoo...

Ok, so I've composed myself enough to be able to talk about our victory. By God, was it exciting! I've never known golf like it.

First of all the final day is on a Monday for the first time since the first ever Ryder Cup in 1927. An extra day of a well-known sporting event always provokes excitement. It's like finding that the last present under the Christmas tree is yours - just when you thought all the joy was over, there's more. So it's majestic Monday and people all over Europe (and, I guess, America) are pulling sickies to watch (or if you're like me and too poor to have Sky Sports, listen) what is sure to be a great day of golf. They were not disappointed.

Lee ‘Gangster’ Westwood (Why do I call him that? Answers on a post card please.) started proceedings against Steve Stricker. Lee’s brilliant Ryder Cup performance didn’t quite find him on this extra day and he eventually lost the match. First blood to the US. The score was now 9 1/2 – 7 1/2. That was too close for my liking. The nail biting continued as the next match went the way of the US also, bringing the score to 9 1/2 – 8 1/2. One point. Eek!

Then came two stalwarts of the team – Luke Donald and Ian Poulter, with a point each. And a hard-fought, very exciting shared point from Rory McIlroy made Europe’s total 12. Looking good. However that pesky Tiger had something to say about The USAs chances and trounced his Molinari brother (Francesco), and that seemed to pump his fellow Americans up as Overton, Mickelson, and the two Johnson’s all won their matches too. With Jimenez winning his and Fowler birdie-ing the last four holes to draw level with a devastated looking E. Molinari who was sailing smoothly to victory until Rookie Ricky found some magic. The score after all these results with only one match to go?

13½ – 13½.

Ahhhh!!

The drama. You couldn’t write it. It was all down to one Graeme McDowell against one Hunter Mahan. G-Mac (as the media and players have affectionately nicknamed him) had been up all day but was down to only 1up when he was our last hope. Whether he knew that or not I don’t know but I’m guessing by the way he celebrated winning hole 15, and consequently going 2up, he had to be somewhat aware that it was pretty important he win. And by gum, win he did.

Europe beat America 14 ½ - 13 ½. The second Mahan concedes there is complete pandemonium as the team, the caddies, and pretty much every member of the crowd rush to McDowell to celebrate. There was A LOT of noise on the radio. I myself was jumping up and down. What a great memory to have been there – made me wish I’d driven there through the night.

Great game. Absolutely fantastic weekend+day. The drama was beyond belief. Who would have guessed it’d come down to the wire? After America’s start and then Europe’s come back... Brilliant stuff.

The only negative? Now we have to wait a whole year for the next one. Will Europe retain the Cup? Bring on 2011.

I’ll keep you blogged...