Graeme McDowell was Europe’s hero at the 2010 Ryder Cup as he won the last match out on the course at Celtic Manor to ensure that Colin Montgomerie got his hands on the trophy for one final time.
Europe had a point to prove at the 2010 Ryder Cup – the first to be held in Wales. Team USA had run out comfortable winners at Valhalla two years earlier, with Paul Azinger the man to end a run of three successive European wins.
His successor, Corey Pavin had the boost of being able to call upon Tiger Woods. Woods had missed the event for the first time in his career in 2008 due to injury.
Europe meanwhile, looked to bounce back from Sir Nick Faldo’s underwhelming stint as captain by turning to Colin Montgomerie. Like Faldo, Montgomerie had enjoyed a phenomenal career in the Ryder Cup.
The Scot never lost a singles match in the event.
Team USA get soaked but make an impressive start to the 2010 Ryder Cup
The first slip up came from the Americans, with Pavin managing to forget Stewart Cink when announcing his team at the opening ceremony. Cink had won The Open Championship just over a year earlier.
In fact, things got worse for the visitors during the first session. It turned out that their waterproofs were not doing a good job of keeping the water out as the rain poured down. The American team would actually be forced to buy more clothing from the merchandise tent.
Eventually, the weather became too much for play to continue. The first session would not be completed until Saturday morning, with Team USA taking an early 2.5-1.5 lead.
There was a significant moment in match two, with Rory McIlroy making his debut in the event. The Northern Irishman and Graeme McDowell halved their match with Matt Kuchar and Cink.
Of course, everyone knows that there are meant to be eight matches on both Friday and Saturday in the Ryder Cup. But with the weather causing all sorts of problems, a revised format was devised – meaning that all 24 players would play in the foursomes on the second day.
The USA managed to move 6-4 ahead after winning three of the six matches.
But everything changed in the third session.
Once again, every single player was involved. The top two matches would be foursomes, while the rest were fourballs.
There was an incredible moment in the match between Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson, and Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton. Overton holed out from the fairway for eagle on the eighth hole.
The shot was special. But the celebration after became iconic.
That proved to be a highlight in a dismal session for the Americans. Europe won five and halved the other match to suddenly move three points clear. Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker were beaten 6&5 by the formidable duo of Lee Westwood and Luke Donald.
Europe just about manage to get across the line in the Ryder Cup
Despite the changes to the format, the 2010 Ryder Cup still became the first to be decided on a Monday.
Stricker got some revenge on Westwood by winning the top match in the singles. Meanwhile, Woods would emulate Overton with an eagle on his way to winning against Francesco Molinari.
When Miguel Angel Jimenez beat Bubba Watson, Europe found themselves 13-9 ahead, needing just 1.5 points from the remaining six matches to regain the Ryder Cup.
Unfortunately for anyone supporting the home side, it proved to be a nail-biter.
The USA won four of the next five matches. The other saw Rickie Fowler come from 3 down with three holes to play to earn a half against Edoardo Molinari.
That meant it all came down to McDowell and Hunter Mahan in the anchor match.
Mahan only needed half a point to ensure that his team retained the cup. But pressure does funny things, even to the very best players in the world.
McDowell holed a lengthy putt on the 16th hole to go 2 up with two to play, with the ball just catching enough of the lip to drop in.
It felt pivotal.
It was pivotal.
And Europe would not have to wait too much longer for the victory to be confirmed. Mahan got his chip shot on the penultimate hole all wrong, barely putting himself in position to putt.
When his third shot failed to drop, Mahan removed his cap and conceded the match to McDowell. He barely made it across to the US Open champion before the green was flooded with people.
Montgomerie’s men had got across the line and given their captain one more highlight on the Ryder Cup stage.
Little did the Americans know after coming so close in 2010, that their wait for a first away win since 1993 would end up entering a fourth decade.
And after their loss at Bethpage on Sunday, there seem to be no guarantees that 2027 will be the year when the run ends.