USA players stand by their Mahan but can't disguise hurt

GOLF:THE NOTION that the United States' players do not care about the Ryder Cup was finally put to rest as a distraught Hunter Mahan broke down in tears when discussing his decisive loss to Graeme McDowell.

Mahan was unbeaten in five games on his Ryder Cup debut when the USA won two years ago, has almost €12 million in career earnings and is engaged to a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

Yet the 28-year-old will go to his grave reliving his fluffed chip on the 17th hole in a soggy course in south Wales that allowed McDowell to clinch the final singles match in play to secure Europe’s victory.

In the post-competition news conference Mahan was the first of the 12-man American team to be asked for his impressions of the final day. But, clearly struggling, he opened and closed his mouth several times but could not muster a word.

Phil Mickelson stepped in to take the question, putting a comforting arm around his team-mate.

A few minutes later Mahan was pressed again on a match where he trailed from the first, was three down after 11 but fought back to one down with three to play needing a half for the USA to retain the cup.

“I’ve played with Graeme before (over the weekend), I don’t even know what day it was,” he said. “But he didn’t miss a shot.

“He played great today, didn’t miss a shot,” he said, emotion catching every word in his throat.

“He hit a bunch of key putts, probably the last four or five holes, and you know – that birdie on 16, after I got it to one-down, was huge. He played . . . he just beat me today,” he added, before turning away in tears.

Mahan’s team-mates immediately rallied to his cause.

“If you go up and down the line of the Tour players in Europe and USA and asked them if they would like to be the last guy to decide the Ryder Cup, probably less than half would say they would like to be that guy and probably less than 10 per cent of them would mean it,” said a fired-up Stewart Cink.

“Hunter Mahan put himself in that position today. He was a man on our team, to put himself in that position, all right.

“Hunter Mahan performed like a champ out there today and I think it’s awesome. Not many players would want to do that.”

USA captain Corey Pavin chipped in: “Well said Stewart.”

Jim Furyk was also anxious to dispel what he felt was a myth that the Americans cared less about the biennial team competition than the Europeans.

“This has always been my favourite event,” said the player who eight days ago banked some €10 million by winning the PGA Tour’s FedExCup.

“Rarely have I ever been as happy after winning; I’ve never cried after losing other than at the Ryder Cup.

“We know what it means to us. Whatever you (the media) all thought in the past, whatever you’ve all written in the past, it’s your observations, the way you feel. But we know what it means. I’m glad maybe finally you’ve all figured it out, but (looking at Mahan) I’m sorry it’s in this way.”