2012 Ryder Cup Review: The Miracle at Medinah

The 2012 Ryder Cup Flag on the 18th Hole
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The 39th Ryder Cup just wrapped up at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. The US team had 25 Ryder Cup victories going in. However, ever since all of Europe has been included in the Cup, the US has only seven wins and one tie, compared to eight wins for Europe. Europe has won four of the last five tournaments, including winning by nine points in 2004 and 2006.

The Medinah County Club has been around since 1924 and has hosted three US Opens (1949,  1975, and 1990) and two PGA Championships (1999 and 2006). This is the Club's first Ryder Cup. The tournament will be held on Medinah's Course 3. The course's 15th hole was changed in 2010. The tee was moved 100 yards closer to the pin and a lake was also added. At the same time, eleven of the eighteen greens were improved.

Team Europe is led by Capitan Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain. He has a career Ryder Cup record of 18-8-5. His team's twelve members are; Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium), Luke Donald (England), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Peter Hanson (Sweeden), Martin Kaymer (Germany), Paul Lawrie (Scotland), Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Francesco Molinari (Italy), Ian Poulter (England), Justin Rose (England) and Lee Westwood (England).

The US Team's Captain is Davis Love III. Love III played in six Ryder Cup's and was an assistant captain in 2010. His select twelve are Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Steve Stricker, Bubba Watson, and Tiger Woods.

Day One of the Cup had four Foursome matches in the morning and then four Four-Ball matches. Foursomes feature two players per team, with each team getting one ball per team. Partners alternate tee off shots and regular shots. Four-Ball also has four competitors, two from each team, but every player has their own ball. Whichever player gets the low score wins the hole for their team.

Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley
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In the first Foursome match, the Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker of the US faced Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy of Europe. The two Northern Irishmen toped the American's 1UP. Eurrope won six holes, while the US had five, and seven even. In the next match-up Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia of Europe went up against the US's Keegen Bradley and Phil Mickelson. Through eleven holes, the match was tied. Then, Bradley and Mickelson got four straight holes to win the game 4&3. Match number three featured Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson for the US and Francesco Molinari and Lee Westwood representing Europe. The Americans won the match 3&2. The last Foursome pitted Europe's Ian Poulter and Justin Rose vs. the US's Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods. The US couldn't gain a lead in the match, as they could tied the score for two holes. Europe won 2&1.

The Four-Ball matches were next on the card. The first match of the Four-Ball's were between Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson of the US and Peter Hanson and Paul Lawrie of Europe. The US dominated the game, going 1UP after the first hole and never giving Europe any advantage as the Americans won the game 5&4. The next game had Europe's McDowell and  McIlroy against the US' Bradley and  Mickelson. Like the previous match, Europe never had a lead or was even tied with the US. The US won 2&1. Then, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar of the US faced off against Matt Kaymer and Rose of Europe. The US was ahead for most of the match and didn't choke under pressure, winning 3&2. In the final match of Day One, Nicolas Colsaerts and Westwood represented Europe while Stricker and Tiger did the same for the Americans. The US took an early lead, but Europe tied the match,took the lead and never let  up. Europe won 1UP.

Ian Poulter
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Day Two had the same schedule as Day One, four Foursomes in the morning and four Four-Ball in the afternoon. Going into the day, the US was leading 5-3. The first match of the day had Rose and Poulter face Simpson and Watson. Rose and Poulter held off the Americans to win the match 1UP. The next match featured Donald and Westwood vs. Bradley and Mickelson. This match wasn't even close as the Americans embarrassed the Europeans with a 7&6 victory. Dufner and Zach Johnson faced Colsaerts and Garcia in the next match. The Americans were up for the most of the match and didn't let it slip away as the they beat the Europeans 2&1. The last foursome match was between the team of Furyk and Snedeker and the grouping of McDowell and McIlroy. The Americans were up for all 18 holes, but never pulled away. However, a win is a win, as the US wins 1UP.

The first of the four Four-Ball matches of Day Two featured Dustin Johnson and Kuchar up against Colsaerts and Lawrie. The Americans had the lead for most of the match and won 1UP. Up next was Simpson and Watson vs. Molinari and Rose. The Americans won the match easily, 5&4. Stricker and Woods faced Donald and Garcia in another match. The Europeans were up for all of the match. However, the Americans came close, cutting the defect by three stokes, but it was not enough. Europe won 1UP. The last match up of Day Two and of all doubles play had McIlroy and Poulter vs. Dufner and Zach Johnson. The Americans were up for most of the match, but Poulter won hole 15 to tie it and then the 16th to take the lead. The Europeans didn't let the lead up as they won 1UP.

Day Three, the final day of the tournament, had all twelve golfers on each team going mano-a-mano with a member of the other team. The US were up 10-6 at the start of the day. The first match had Watson pitted against Donald. Donald had control for most of the match, but Watson won back-top-back holes to bring it within two, but Donald held him off to win 2&1. The next match had Simpson and Poulter going head-to-head. The match was all square through 16 holes. Poulter won the 17th hole to take the 1Up lead. On the 18th hole, he got insure by winning that hole and the match, 2UP. Next up was the match-up of McIlroy vs. Bradley. McIlroy was in control of most of the match and ended up with the the 2&1 victory. Mickelson and Rose battled their mastch all the way to the end. After 16 holes, Mickelson had the slight lead over Rose. Rose equalized on the 17th hole. He won the game on the 18th hole, taking only three shots to get it in the hole compared to four for Mickelson.

Then, Lawrie faced Snedeker. Lawrie was in control for most of the match and won the match 5&3. Dustin Johnson went up against Colsaerts in another match. Johnson was up 1UP or tied for most of the match. Johnson then won three straight holes to put Colsaerts away with a 3&2 win. In another match, Zach Johnson went up against Graeme McDowell. Johnson was ahead for every hole the two played. The American won 2&1. Furyk and Garcia's match went down to the wire. Furyk was up 1UP after the 16th hole. Garcia won the 17th hole and then the 18th to win this match. Dufner and Hanson then went up against each other. Dufner lead for sixteen out of the eighteen holes and won the matchup 1UP. Next came the match-up between Westwood and Kuchar. Westwood won three of the last five holes the two played to win 3&2. 

Matin Kaymer
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With ten of the twelve matches finished, Team Europe came back to tie the whole Cup at 13. Stricker and Kaymer were all square through 16 holes. Kaymer then won the 17th hole to put himself up 1UP. Then on the 18th hole, both players were on the green, with Woods and Molinari waiting to see the results. If Kaymer won or tied the hole, he'd win the match and the Cup would go to the Europeans. If Stricker won the hole, the Cup would be tied at 13½ and it would come down to Woods and Molinari. Stricker made it in four shots. After Stricker finished up, Kaymer was on his fourth shot, too. His shot was a short putt. He made it in to keep the Cup in Europe. Woods and Molinari halved to make the score 14½-Europe, 13½-US. Europe completed an unbelievable comeback.