Trailing 10-6 against a resurgent U.S. team, nobody gave Team Europe a chance. However, riding on an emotional wave of the tribute given to Seve Ballesteros, the away side, against a partisan crowd, won an amazing eight of their 12 singles matches to retain the Ryder Cup in dramatic style.
Wearing Ballesteros', who passed away in May 2011, favorite color navy blue coupled with his iconic silhouette on the shirt sleeves, Europe, for the first time since 1999 came back from a 10-6 deficit to win 14-1/2 to 13-1/2. The U.S. did the same to Europe in 1999 at Brookline, coming from 10-6 down, a win which Tiger Woods had remarked was one of his most memorable moments.
Jose Maria-Olazabal, the Europe captain, who has been stellar in the past for his side in Ryder Cups, could not hide his emotions after Martin Kaymer completed a six-foot par putt to win Europe the point needed to guarantee victory. The German won 1-up from Steve Stricker to hand the Europeans victory.
The final game of the day was academic, and Woods missed a three-foot par putt, to halve the match and see the European win 14-1/2 to 13-1/2.
"This one is for all of Europe," Olazabal said. "Seve will always be present with this team. He was a big factor for this event for the European side, and last night when we were having that meeting, I think the boys understood that believing was the most important thing. And I think they did.
"I have no doubt in my mind that he was with me today all day, because there's no chance I would have won my match if he wasn't there," added Sergio Garcia, who won the last two holes to claim a crucial win over Jim Furyk.
"It was amazing and it feels so good to be able to win it for him and for our Captain, Jose; it's been amazing."
Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, who kept Europe in with a chance with a wonderful performance on Saturday, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Paul Lawrie opened up the final day with five-straight wins. U.S. seemed to come back from the onslaught with two victories of their own from the two Johnson's - Dustin and Zach.
Garcia beat Furyk in the next game to make it 12 apiece, before the U.S. went back into the lead thanks to Jason Duffner.
However, Europe refused to give in - Lee Westwood and then Martin Kaymer notchin up two-straight victories to give Europe 14 points. Even if Tiger Woods, who went the entire week without a single win, had won the last game to make it 14-14, Europe would have retained the trophy as they were the defending champions.
"We're all kind of stunned," U.S. captain Davis Love III said. "We know what it feels like now from the '99 Ryder Cup. It's a little bit shocking. We were playing so well, we figured it didn't matter how we sent them out there. We got a couple of matches flipped there in the middle that cost us.
"I wouldn't have done anything different. They played great.
"This is a great team, we had a great week. We played together as a team and we said we wanted to win every segment.
"But we got beaten badly in this one, and any time you lose a segment that badly it is going to cost you the Ryder Cup."
