Some said Oliver Wilson did not belong in the Ryder Cup — now they know he does.
The softly-spoken Englishman, who turned 28 last week, squeezed on to Nick Faldo’s Ryder Cup team at the last gasp as a points qualifier.
He was the only one of the 24 players at Valhalla Golf Course never to have won a professional tournament and he was probably the least well-known.
Europe skipper Nick Faldo then left him out of the action on Friday, the only player not to hit a ball in anger, before handing him his first Ryder Cup cap on Saturday.
Paired with Swede Henrik Stenson his task could not have been tougher as they were up against world number two Phil Mickelson and exciting rookie Anthony Kim, who had been in outstanding form with a win and a halve on Friday.
Matters took a decided turn for the worse as the European underdogs fell four down after six holes.
But in one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Ryder Cup history, Wilson and Stenson clawed their back into contention and then as the Americans crumbled they eased ahead.
Fittingly, it was Wilson who sunk the winning putt, holing a snaking 20-footer for birdie at the 17th.
The fist pump that followed that exploit spoke volumes for how much it meant to him.
”I felt like I’ve been waiting to hole that putt all year,” he said.
”I’ve done quite a few things like that in my amateur career, and it’s annoying that I haven’t done it as a professional.
”I love team competition, and there’s no better stage to do it on.
”I felt like I was due. And to be in that situation, I was just excited to be able to hit the putt, and I hit a great putt, great read, and it all came true.”
Wilson had an added reason for applying the coup de grace to the Americans as he had been informed a few holes earlier that he would not playing in the afternoon fourballs.
That leaves him with just the singles to follow on Sunday to complete his Ryder Cup debut with two games played.
”I said to my caddie — we’d better make this one count because I want a 100% record.”
”I wanted to play in the afternoon, but just because I felt like everything was good. But it probably spurred me on a little bit more to know that, and we just kept pressing on, and it just made it a bit more important.” – AFP
