A fearless display by six Ryder Cup newbies more than made up for the absence of golf great Tiger Woods as the United States regained the coveted trophy after a nine-year drought on Sunday.

In an era where the absence of Woods from a field can suck the air right out of a tournament, America's young guns mesmerized the crowd at Valhalla Golf Club, delivered a stunning blow to Europe's proven players, and offered a glimpse of what new challenges might await Woods when he returns next year from knee surgery.

Certainly Woods, who was home watching on TV — and bombarding US team captain Paul Azinger with text messages — is the most talented golfer of his generation.

But the single-minded focus that he has used to earn 14 major titles hasn't translated to the Ryder Cup team competition.

Woods's sense of humor goes down well in the team room. But his very superiority, hammered home week-in and week-out on tour, can be as daunting to his team-mates as to their opponents out on the course.

"Even though everybody likes Tiger and we get along with him, we all feel like we're more similar to each other," Stewart Cink said in the build-up to the Cup, which could perhaps explain why Woods has been partnered with 11 different players in his five Ryder Cup appearances.

Without the burden of living up to Woods, and with the encouragement of Azinger, the US players were able to let themselves go.

Irrepressible Boo Weekley, playing his first Ryder Cup at the age of 35, toured Valhalla with the joyous "Booooos" of tens of thousands of fans ringing in his ears.

"It's just amazing, it really is," drawled Weekley, who cemented his cult status on Sunday when he straddled his driver and galloped off the first tee in an imitation of a Kentucky Derby winner.

"Right now I can't tell you to put it into words. I'm still shaking and nervous as all get-out... This adrenaline ain't nothing like shooting a deer."

Kim comes to the fore

With a combined record of 9-4-8, the US rookies contributed to 13 points — almost all of the 14.5 America needed to win the Cup and a sizeable percentage of the final 16.5 total.

Anthony Kim, a 23-year-old Californian who was in ninth grade the last time the US won the Ryder Cup, spearheaded the US charge on Sunday by handing Spain's Sergio Garcia the worst defeat of his Cup career, a 5 and 4 drubbing that set the tone for the day.

"I asked Paul to put me out early," said Kim, who had visibly energized three-time major champion Phil Mickelson when they were paired together on Friday and Saturday.

"I felt like I could get some points on the board."

Rookie Hunter Mahan kept the momentum going with a hard-fought halve, draining a 40-foot putt over a ridge at 17 to make sure of half a point.

"Every match was difficult, but I felt like our good was good enough," said Mahan, whose 3.5 points led the United States. "I didn't think we needed to do anything extra. We didn't need to do anything special ... that would be good enough for us to win if we just played our game."

Kim said much the same.

"We just tried to bring our own attitudes," he said. "It wasn't that we had to change and Boo had to be somebody else. That's Boo every day. I was just who I am."

Jim Furyk, whose singles win over Miguel Angel Jimenez was the clinching moment for the United States, said it was the youngsters who made it possible.

"I've played in a lot of Ryder Cups - experience, experience, experience, that's what we've always driven home," said Jim Furyk.

"We had a lot of newcomers here and a lot of young guys. They infused just amazing energy into the crowd, and into the team and won the majority of points.

"From my heart, I appreciate what the young guys did. They helped us win the Ryder Cup, and I appreciate it."

AFP

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