Ryder Cup hero Graeme MCDowell dedicates win to ill Ballesteros

Europe's Ryder Cup hero Graeme MCDowell dedicates win to Spanish legend Ballesteros, who is suffering from brain tumour

Europe's Ryder Cup hero Graeme MCDowell dedicates win to Spanish legend Ballesteros, who is suffering from brain tumour

As if they did not have enough Ryder Cup heroes already, Ireland came up with another amid amazing scenes at Celtic Manor yesterday ufffd a real giant in Graeme McDowell.

Graeme McDowell celebrates on the 17th green after making the winning putt for Europe to beat the US
on the final day of the 2010 Ryder Cup yesterday.

Following in the famous footsteps of Eamonn Darcy, Christy O'Connor, Philip Walton and Paul McGinley, the 31-year-old from Portrush won back the trophy for Europe when everything depended on him.

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u00a0"I was trying to do it for 11 teammates, for all the fans, for the caddies, for Europe and for Monty ufffd and we were all trying to win it for Seve Ballesteros too," he said.

Ballesteros is suffering from brian tumour.

If McDowell thought he had faced the ultimate test of character when he won his first major at the US Open in June, he was made to think again. "I have never felt as nervous in my life," he admitted.

Pressure
Yet under such enormous pressure ufffd this was the first match to go to the final game since 1991 ufffd McDowell, back at the course where he won the Wales Open four months ago, beat Hunter Mahan.

And he did so thanks to a dramatic 20-foot birdie putt at the 16th and then a par on the short 17th. Colin Montgomerie's side lost the singles 7-5, but having taken a three-point lead into the day ufffd the first Monday in Ryder Cup history, of course, after all the rain ufffd they triumphed by a 14 1/2-13 1/2 margin. "This is crazy," added McDowell. "The back nine at Pebble Beach felt like a back nine playing with my dad at Royal Portrush.

"It's so much pressure and this is a special feeling ufffd there's nothing quite like it.

"Monty was amazing. For the last two years he has been up for this." Yet the Scot immediately pushed the praise back to his team and backroom staff.