Monday, October 4, 2010

After Dismal Day, US Ryder Cup Team Focused on Comeback

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Corey Pavin, Dustin Johnson, Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods

NEWPORT, Wales -- After almost being shut out during the Ryder Cup's third-session play, the United States will go into Monday's rain-delayed singles matches trailing Europe by a lopsided 9 1/2-6 1/2, but fueled by one prevailing fact.

Bigger comebacks have been made before.

Well, at least once.

After taking a 5 1/2-1/2 beating Sunday on the way to having a two-point advantage turned into a three-point deficit, the Americans looked to history for motivation.

In 1999 at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass., the U.S. mounted a final-round rally to rebound from a 10-6 deficit, the largest comeback in Ryder Cup history, by winning 8 1/2 of the day's possible 12 points.

U.S. captain Ben Crenshaw went into the final day that year insisting, "I just have a feeling."

He was right. At Brookline, remembered for Justin Leonard's 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole and the celebration it ignited, the Americans won the day's opening six matches, stunning Europe with a 14 1/2-13 1/2 victory.

"You know, Ben's Ben and I'm me," U.S. captain Corey Pavin said Sunday. "I'm going to put the guys out in the order that I think gives us best chance to win. They have to go out and perform and play, and if they do, I think we have a chance."

Much of a chance?

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