Last Call

The American side collapse in golf's Ryder Cup singles finals today was so complete, at this point I honestly have to wonder if the US will ever be able to win the damn event again.

With a 10-6 lead going into the final day, its biggest lead heading into the singles matches since 1981, the U.S. needed only 4 ½ points to win back the Cup but got off to a slow start in the lead match and struggled from there.

Luke Donald matched Bubba Watson's birdie on the first hole, then won four of the next 11 to take a 4-up lead. Watson tried to fight back with birdies on 14, 15 and 16, but Donald's up-and-down par on 17 gave him a 2-and-1 win. The score was 10-7; counting Saturday, Europe had won three consecutive points.

"I had a lot of responsibility going out number one to get some blue on the board early," Donald said. "I wish I had done it a few holes earlier, but Bubba put some pressure on me at the end, and I was glad I held on."

Paul Lawrie put the finishing touches on his 5-and-3 victory over American Brandt Snedeker, who never quite found his game at this Ryder Cup. It was 10-8.

"I think we don't want to get ahead of ourselves," said Lawrie, who made five birdies and no bogeys, and never trailed, "but right now it's looking pretty good, and we just need to boys to hold on. You never know."

Keegan Bradley and Rory McIlroy, the two most recent PGA Championship winners, traded birdies and war cries in one of the best matches of the day. But Bradley got stymied behind a tree on the par-5 14th, and McIlroy won the hole to go 1 up. He won 15, too, with a birdie after Bradley hit his tee shot into the gallery, and hung on for a 2-and-1 win despite arriving at the course 10 minutes before the tee time. It was 10-9.

Ian Poulter ran his record to 4-0-0 this week when he held off Webb Simpson, 2 up, and all of a sudden it was anyone's ballgame at 10-10.

And the US went on to lose by 14 1/2 to 13 1/2, the equivalent of blowing a 4 touchdown lead in the second half, probably the largest collapse in Ryder Cup history, just the worst series of match golf pretty much ever played.  Since 1985 the Europeans are now 10-4 over the US.  We have just been dominated by these guys, Tiger Woods or no Tiger Woods.  It's been a quarter of a decade plus of just getting stomped, including 5-1 Europe since 2000.

Like I said, we may not get the thing back anytime soon, guys.  Enjoy it, Europe.  You've earned it.