Newport: Captain Colin Montgomerie, who has held his emotions in check during a dramatic and trying week, choked back the tears on Monday after Europe regained the Ryder Cup with victory in the final singles match.
Graeme McDowell's 17th-hole win over Hunter Mahan took the hosts to the magical mark of 14 1/2 points after the holders had produced a great comeback to almost snatch victory.
"I'm so proud, very proud moment for us all here in Europe," Montgomerie said as he strode down the 18th fairway packed with well-wishers. "We all played to a man magnificently, we all gave a 110 per cent, and that's all I could ask. Every player, playing how well they did they played magnificent, all 12. I knew I had a great 12, I knew I did.
"I just had to rely on certain people at certain times, and all credit to Eddie Molinari, to be up three-up in the first place was fantastic, and the way Rickie Fowler finished, and Graeme McDowell was put there for a good reason, he's full of confidence and that showed. "That birdie on 16 was just quite unbelievable, quite unbelievable."
Montgomerie had top-loaded his order with his in-form players and though Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer lost early on, Luke Donald and Ian Poulter countered.
"We got off to a flyer, at one stage it was eight blue names on the board but we weren't two-up, three-up, they were one-up and that was a dangerous position to be in," Montgomerie said. "They came back extremely well. Tiger showed why he was number one in the world and Phil Mickelson played brilliantly."
Montgomerie also paid credit to his roving vice-captains, saying: "I simply would not have won without them, as simple as that." The Scot, a Ryder Cup hero as a player with six wins and two halves from eight singles matches, has spent the week playing down his role but he could not hide his pride as the roars of "Monty, Monty" greeted his arrival at the clubhouse. "I didn't hit a shot so it wasn't much of an achievement," he said. "But at the same time it's a proud, proud moment for me personally."
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