His finest hour

IT is a measure of the Ryder Cup's enduring status as one of the events of world sport that golf fans in this most eurosceptic of nations were loudly cheering as Europe won a classic contest as the ice-cool Ulsterman Graeme McDowell held his nerve amid the unbearable tension.
By The Newsroom
Published 4th Oct 2010, 23:23 BST
Updated 4th Oct 2010, 23:24 BST

This was illustrated by the raucous support for charismatic golfers like Spain's cigar-smoking Miguel Angel Jimenez and Italy's crowd-pleasing Molinari brothers. Only the Ryder Cup sees Britons embracing the Continent's finest in such a way – it simply does not happen in football or any other sport.

Yet, as well as being an epic victory for Europe, it was a triumph that had its roots in Yorkshire. This was the 11th Ryder Cup for Bingley's Billy Foster, the caddy to the stars and the bagman who meticulously guided the talismanic Lee Westwood around the Celtic Manor course. He was a key cog in a great team win captained by Colin Montgomerie, who spent his formative years learning to play golf in Ilkley.

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The best player never to win a "major", this enigmatic individual has proved, over time, to be the ultimate team man. And while he sought to play down his role by saying he was not the one hitting the crucial shots, this will surely go down in the sporting annals as "Monty's" finest hour.

Related topics:EuropeItalySpain