Ryder Cup 2012 - Final Day Highlights at Medinah Country Club USA

And so, after a sporting summer that has defied belief, the final miracle came to pass. Europe's 14½-13½ victory over a stupefied United States team in golden Sunday sunshine at Medinah was many things - a nerve-mangling epic, an unprecedented comeback and a criminal collapse, golfing larceny on the grandest scale. It was also, in a year when the extraordinary became commonplace, perhaps the most remarkable afternoon of all. We have heard much of Seve Ballesteros all week, seen his image everywhere and listened as his name was evoked to inspire and illuminate. Frank Sinatra sang it: Bet your bottom dollar, you’ll lose the blues in Chicago. The song is for Europe’s golfers now: They have the time, the time of their life The United States required only four-and-a-half points from the 12 on offer, but the Europeans secured eight and a half to clinch a historic 14½-13½ win Martin Kaymer sank a five-foot putt on the 18th green to get his team to the 14 points needed to retain the trophy. Then a Tiger Woods bogey on the final green of the final match gifted Jose Maria Olazabal's side overall victory. The victorious European captain said: "To the 12 men of Europe, what you did out there was outstanding. All men die but not all men live and you made me feel alive again this week. Do call it a comeback. Both the European team and the United States squad would likely prefer it that way. After all, if the thrilling come-from-behind win for the golfers representing Europe isn't remembered as perhaps the most incredible comeback in Ryder Cup history then it must be regarded as an epic collapse by the Americans. Boasting a 10-6 lead when they turned up at Medinah on Sunday, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and the rest of the United States team just needed to avoid an all-out rout in the concluding day of the 2012 Ryder Cup. They could not. Even after the Europeans captured the first four points of the singles action on Sunday, the United States team still had a path its winning point total of 14 1/2, with a few in-progress matches looking to go their way.