This past weekend's best sports action didn't occur on a diamond or the gridiron (although I loved the fourth quarter of the Patriots game when Brady proved to be, once again, The Man). Instead, the most exciting and most competitive sporting event came to us from a golf course in Virginia. There, the United States team beat the International squad 18.5 to 15.5 in the 2005 President's Cup.
For those of you that don't know a seven-iron from a clothing iron, the President's Cup is a biannual competition that pits 12 American golfers against a dozen from the non-European world in a series of team and individual matches. Winning matches gains points, and 17.5 points wins the event.
I'll just address your thoughts now by giving you a little scenario of what my life is like: I am 19-years-old, I extensively watch and enjoy golf on TV, and I live in a van down by the river! (R.I.P. Farley).
I am, also, a slave to great sports, and that's just what this Cup was.
First, I loved this weekend's President's Cup because few major American sports offer their best playing for their country in a non-Olympic setting. And you'll never see Phil Mickelson pull a Shaq by skipping out on international competition.
This, like a battle of heavyweights, featured 11 of the top 15 players in the world, six of whom were Americans.
Second, unity and teamwork - rarities on the golf course - were overwhelming here. The format itself calls for combined strategy and the ability to rely on a partner. Teammates congratulated each other after every great shot. They planned who to play with and who to go against.
And, when they were done, they sat around the greens supporting teammates; a cheering section with like-colored polo shirts.
For these golfers used to playing alone and against everyone else, the team concept brings a definite sense of camaraderie along with some added pressure. These players are used to playing for a paycheck, but they will admit that having to make a putt for their team and their country is more daunting - and more rewarding.
Thursday and Friday's team action resulted in a slim one-point lead for the Internationals. Duos to establish themselves as unbeatable included the foreign pair of Retief Goosen and Adam Scott and the American team of Mickelson and Chris DiMarco, both of which did not lose a match. Friday also saw ailing partners Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk gain a point for the U.S.
This brings me to a Tiger sidebar. I don't root for Woods, not because I dislike him, but because I like to see other players win and watch underdogs topple golf's Goliath.
But this weekend, I found myself fist pumping along with Woods. This golf was a team sport, and I was pulling hard for the U.S., even if it meant cheering on "that guy." Some point to Tiger's relatively poor record in Cup matches as evidence that he only cares about his solo career, but Tiger seemed more excited and focused than any other golfer.
On Saturday, as points became more crucial, the play became better. Shots were dialed in to the pin, long bombs were rolled in on the greens, and birdies were the norm.
After morning and afternoon matches, the U.S. had tied the score at 11. The day was highlighted by Mickelson and DiMarco's ridiculously good eight-under par score through 15 holes in alternate shot play.
Sunday featured 12 singles matches. Early on, the leaderboard was covered in red, white, and blue, but things tightened up as the day progressed. The quality of play remained stellar as the drama kicked into high gear.
Goosen nailed two putts over 40 feet on his way to beating Woods. American David Toms had to make a long eagle putt to halve a hole after his opponent, Trevor Immelman, drained a bunker shot for his three.
In the end, it was the Americans who were clutch. One of the team's captain's picks, Fred Couples, relived some past memories by hitting a long putt on 18 to defeat powerful Vijay Singh.
The real star was DiMarco, who, with Cup points tied, hit the greatest 15-foot putt of his career on the final hole to win his match and clinch victory for the U.S. He finished the week with a combined 4-0-1 record.
After being mobbed by his team, he hilariously said that he "[couldn't] wait to open that first six-pack." Good thing he was done driving. (Golf joke!)
Anyway, a winning putt is, to me, one of the best athletic thrills. A player anxiously lines it up as he tries to control his nerves. He takes a breath and fully knows the importance that rests on his stroke. He seizes the opportunity. Time slows as the ball nears, and once it disappears into the hole there is an immediate jubilation and exaltation unlike many other moments in sports.
For DiMarco and his team, it was a dramatic birdie and a hard-fought U.S. victory.
For us sports fans, it was just really great to watch.
Ben Swasey is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached via e-mail at ben.swasey@tufts.edu
