MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) — Erasing some of their worst Ryder Cup memories, the Europeans wore the image of Seve Ballesteros on their sleeves and played their hearts out Sunday at Medinah to match the greatest comeback in history and head home with that precious gold trophy.
Europe got its payback for Brookline. Martin Kaymer gave German golf redemption for Kiawah Island.
Jose Maria Olazabal squeezed his eyes and fought back tears when Kaymer holed a 6-foot par putt — about the same length that countryman Bernhard Langer missed at Kiawah in 1991 — to beat Steve Stricker and give Europe the point it needed to keep the cup.
Tiger Woods missed a 3½-foot par putt on the 18th hole and conceded a par to Francesco Molinari that halved their match, that extra half-point making it a clear-cut win for Europe, 14½-13½.
Woods and Stricker, the anchors in the lineup, didn’t win a single match at Medinah.