McGinley helps fly flag for Ireland

Ryder Cup: John O'Sullivan looks back at the key players and partnerships in Europe's victory at The Belfry

As sporting images go, Paul McGinley waist-high in the freezing water of the lake that borders the 18th green at The Belfry, extending the Tricolour over his head as a posse of photographers captured the moment, is one that will endure longer than 2002.

It will also transcend merely being referred to as one of golf's greatest moments; it will be a defining snapshot of Irish sport, the bite of the underdog, the poise of the rookie manifest in the glory of victory.

Three Irishmen - Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and McGinley - were part of a 12-man European team, galvanised by Scotland's Sam Torrance, that made a mockery of the pre-cup odds that so heavily favoured team USA. Rightly so.

The various outpourings from the European team that they could win shouldn't camouflage the fact that America appeared to have the nap hand in terms of ability and form. As much as affairs were decided on the golf course, one must ascribe a large segment of the victory plaudits to Torrance.

A winner of 21 European Tour titles, and an integral player in three winning Ryder Cup sides, he outwitted his American counterpart Curtis Strange, particularly in the final day singles.

Torrance's assertion that his was a bit-part role in Europe's 15½ to 12½ success over a three-day emotional roller-coaster ride was typical of the man.

"They have all done a great job. This had nothing to do with me. I led them to the water, and they drank copiously."

None more so than McGinley - we're not referring to any liquid he might have inadvertently swallowed when thrown into the lake on the 18th green - whose nine-foot putt on the 18th green guaranteed that half point that won the Ryder Cup for Europe.

It wasn't simply that contribution but also the huge input of the previous day when he dragged Darren Clarke back from the precipice of defeat against Scott Hoch and Jim Furyk in the Saturday afternoon fourballs to earn a vital half point. That left the match delicately balanced 8-8 going into the final day singles.

This battle, though, had gripped from the opening salvos when Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn humbled Tiger Woods and Paul Azinger in the opening fourballs match of the Ryder Cup early Friday morning. What followed made for compulsive viewing; Lee Westwood's lucrative partnership with Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington's character in the face of a faulty swing and the imperious form of Colin Montgomerie.

It was the Scot, unbeaten throughout the three days as he coursed the Americans in partnership with that stoic German Bernhard Langer and Harrington, and then let loose on Scott Hoch in the singles, provided the inspiration for the final day heroics.

That climactic afternoon bred others to whom the huge crowds would figuratively doff their caps, especially Philip Price. His presence was questioned by the media on this side of the Atlantic and he would later admit to being deeply wounded by the barbs suggesting he withdraw from the team lest he let his team-mates down.

But drawing from the harmony of a tight team and the belief of his peers, Price produced the performance of the final day singles to ravage the world number two Phil Mickelson with a wonderful and courageous display of golf.

Clarke earned a doughty half with Duval, Harrington tormented Mark Calcavecchia, Langer and Bjorn added to the American's misery at the top of the scoreboard.

Torrance had gambled by stacking the deck; history will salute his prescience.

Europe won the singles for only the sixth time in the 75-year history of the matches. The Americans could only sporadically respond, David Toms beating Garcia and rookie Scott Verplank producing a stunning display to oust the in-form Westwood.

It didn't matter though because Fasth's half against Azinger, Price's victory and McGinley's coup de grace guaranteed a European win: and all the while Woods remained on the periphery of the battle, denied an impact by being placed in the final match. Ultimately his half point against Parnevik and that of Davis Love against another Swede Pierre Fulke didn't matter.

Three days of competition, 28 matches, one putt.