The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Europe on verge of record rout

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 20, 2004

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Sport - Golf

Europe on verge of record rout

BLOOMFIELD HILLS (MICHIGAN), SEPT. 19. Backed by the clutch performance from its English rookies and reliable play from Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, Europe put the United States in another huge hole on Saturday by taking an 11-5 lead in the Ryder Cup and making victory on the final day seem like a mere formality.

Europe looked like it might get swept in the morning, but recovered to win 1-1/2 points to maintain its lead. Then it turned the Ryder Cup into a runaway, sending Tiger Woods and Davis Love III to a crushing loss and whipping up on the rest of their team-mates. Current Europe captain, Bernhard Langer, allowed three of his rookies to make their Ryder Cup debut Saturday, and two of them shined. Paul Casey and David Howell won the final two holes for a 1-up victory in a better-ball that kept the Americans at bay and sent a surge of confidence through their team-mates in the afternoon. Europe immediately took the lead in the first three matches, but the turning point came in the one it trailed. Woods, who won earlier on Saturday with the ebullient Chris Riley, teamed with Love to win the first two holes, and seemed destined to make it a short match.Woods and Love bogeyed four out of six holes in the middle of the match and lost, 4 and 3. — Agencies.

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