It was as if Kite had his pairings for every match set before he got to Valderrama and stuck with them despite what was happening on the course. Ballesteros had no time for such frivolity. The U.S. team needs a nasty leader next time, someone like Curtis Strange or Hale Irwin who won't be afraid to do what is right and not what is nice. Europe also got the leadership it needed from its best players. Faldo took Westwood by the hand and led him around Valderrama as they won two of the four matches they played together and took the other two to the 17th and 18th holes before losing.
Woods plays well.
Olazabal, who a year ago at this time could barely walk because of bad feet, played five matches in three days. No one among the Americans stepped forward to take a leadership role, although Lehman was the most demonstrative on the course. Meanwhile, Faldo, Montgomerie, Langer and Olazabal won at least two points each. When Europe won the Ryder Cup in 1985 for only the second time in 50 years and the first time since 1957, the event suddenly had the attention of Americans. Because of the team format and nationalistic fervor, this is the most compelling event in golf.