European captain Sam Torrance did as he promised and burst into tears after watching Ireland's Paul McGinley hole the vital putt that won Europe the 34th Ryder Cup. Torrance, well known for his tendancy to show his emotions, had vowed he would only shed the tears should his team win the competition and he did just that when Dubliner McGinley held his nerve to hole the 18-foot putt that put Europe at 14&1/2 and beyond the reach of the Americans.
"They have all done a great job, I am so proud of every one of them. This had nothing to do with me. I led them to the water and they drank copiously. Nothing compares with this," Torrance said to Sky Sports immediately afterwards.
McGinley shed some tears of his own as the reality of what he just acheived began to sink in. "What is it about the Irish and the Ryder Cup? It was fantastic. "I am happy for Sam who has been a majestic captain. We`ve had a great time, just great."
Colin Montgomerie, who has been in stunning form for Europe all weekend despite being plagued by back trouble this season, set his team on their way with victory in the first singles today and he was on the 18th green to watch his McGinley clinch victory. "Sam said he would only cry if we won," Monty laughed. "All credit to him. He had the strength to send our top players out first and it worked very well," he told Sky Sports.
"To think only two out of 12 Americans have won. This is the best singles performance we have ever had. It says to the Americans that we can play with them and beat them. I know how much it means to us and our whole tour. Sam has had great support from Mark James and Ian Woosnam. It was great team spirit between us. Yes we had another year to get it but it was a fantastic team spirit," added the Scot.
US captain Curtis Strange was gracious in defeat and praised the support the European team enjoyed on home soil. "They absolutely deserved to win. They played very well, they've played so well all week," he said while fighting back the tears.
"Sam got the front end loaded and they did what they had to do and got a lot of blue on the board and then these fans seemed to carry the second half of field on. It's such an atmosphere here, it's incredible to see players hit shots they'd never play. I feel bad for my players, but whatever happens I've done the same job. It's always nicer to win, but it's such a great atmosphere to be a part of," he added.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
