LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- They bungled the lyrics and were decidedly off-key, but their motivation and intentions were surely pure.
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| J.B. Holmes and Kenny Perry celebrate on a day they'll never forget. (AP) |
After years of the hearing the U.S. team repeat the same sour chorus, Perry and his new Ryder Cup mates had no such trouble, giving the heavily favored Europeans a symphony of red, white and bluegrass.
After plenty of tears and jeers, the Yanks reclaimed the elusive Cup for the first time since 1999 with a stirring 16½-11½ victory over the Euros at Valhalla Golf Club, riding the efforts of two native Kentuckians and their adopted country cousin to an American antebellum reconstruction.
The lopsided score represents the largest American victory since 1981, when the Americans won 18½-9½ in old Surrey, England. That's a long way, both geographically and philosophically, from where country Kenny lives.
The determined Perry won his match with ease, fellow Kentucky native J.B. Holmes made two brilliant birdies down the stretch to nail down a victory and homespun Boo Weekley had six birdies and an eagle to win in a rout to lead the American charge, which has been a very long time coming.
"I couldn't hold back the tears," said Perry, 48, who piled the pressure on himself this week. "It's the greatest day of my life."
Including U.S. captain Paul Azinger, there were at least a dozen others wearing the same uniform who wouldn't have argued the point. But for Perry and Holmes, it was doubly delicious. The pair of native sons finished the week a combined 4-1-2, collecting five points. Weekley, who was embraced as a homeboy himself with his corny country quotes and crazy cheerleading antics, was unbeaten at 2-0-1.
"They took it to us the last couple of years," the colorful Weekley said, low-balling the length of the drought by a few miles. "And now it's time for us to take it back."
As the champagne sprayed, the animated Weekley did a few victory laps around the clubhouse, pretending he was riding a galloping horse while whipping himself on the backside. Which beats the mood of three days earlier, when nitpicking at the underdog and overmatched U.S. team felt like whipping a dead horse.
What's experience worth? Even in a pressure cauldron like the Ryder, it's not always a difference-maker. Astoundingly, the veteran trio of Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, who all lost on Sunday, finished the week without a victory between them.
Garcia, sent off first in an attempt to get some mojo working as the Europeans began the day trailing 9-7, was crushed by 23-year-old Anthony Kim, who was so swept up in the moment that after ending it on the 14th green, 5 and 4, he began rushing off to the next tee, oblivious that the match had just ended and he'd scored a potentially major point.
"I'm coming out of my skin right now I'm so excited," Kim said as the Cup was clinched. "We're obviously very proud of ourselves. Hopefully we got a lot more coming."
