A dark Saturday. An unforgettable Sunday. And a timeless lesson: never give up.
In the 2012 Ryder Cup, the European team wrote one of the most epic pages of modern golf. With the score 10-6 in favour of the United States after Saturday’s pairs duels, it all seemed doomed. But something changed. Ian Poulter strung together five consecutive birdies alongside Rory McIlroy, while Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald beat none other than Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. Still, the mountain to climb was abysmal.
Then the symbol appeared. The navy blue sleeves of the European uniform, a silent tribute to Seve Ballesteros, began to shine brightly. The spirit of the legendary Spanish golfer flew over every shot. And José María Olazábal, his disciple and captain of the team, took the reins with a firm determination: to prepare his players for victory, with no room for doubt.
Sunday came with the pressure thermometer at its highest. McIlroy almost missed his tee time due to a time zone error, the home crowd was pushing 20,000 voices in favour of the Americans, but Europe did not tremble.
In the individual matches, the reaction was as precise as it was passionate: Luke Donald and Poulter scored key points, Paul Lawrie crushed Snedeker, and the duel between Justin Rose and Mickelson rocked the field.
It all culminated with a putt by Martin Kaymer on the 18th hole. Two and a half metres away from the miracle, with the memory of Bernhard Langer’s failure in 1991 weighing like lead, he took a deep breath and holed. Europe reached 14.5 against 13.5, consummating a comeback that seemed impossible.
The ‘miracle of Medinah’ in Illinois was not luck. It was faith, leadership, strategy and heart. Because as that team taught: in golf and in life, you only lose when you give up.