DUBAI // Nobody likes to play in a losing team, especially on a stage as massive as the Ryder Cup, but Henrik Stenson maintained that Europe's defeat by the United States at Valhalla last month may prove beneficial to the future of golf's principal matchplay event. "We were all desperate to make it four European wins in a row," said the Dubai-based Swede. "But maybe it was better that the Americans won for a change. It means that everybody will be looking forward to Wales in 2010 with even greater enthusiasm as we try to make the most of home advantage in the same way as they did."
Stenson, who was reasonably satisfied with his own performance over the three days of a match that was much closer than the five-point margin of victory suggests, knew his second appearance in the prestigious trans-Atlantic battle was always going to be harder than his winning debut at Dublin's K Club two years ago. "I always thought it would be a tougher match in America," reflected Stenson, who lost a crucial singles rubber to Kenny Perry midway through the final afternoon.
"They had more knowledge about the course and had the passionate home crowd behind them. They played better than us and beat us fair and square." He regarded the key to be the opening Friday rubbers when the Americans took the initiative and refused to surrender it over the thrilling denouement. "It was quite even over the last two days and had we been able to get just a little bit closer to them on the final afternoon, we might have turned it round.
"The score in the end was misleading because players in our team like Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter had nothing to play for at the end of the day once the Cup had been won. "If it had stayed in the balance for their matches,I am sure they would have been able to mobilise that extra energy to do what was needed and I feel they might have turned it round in our favour. But the way it worked out they had little motivation to do so."
That was the cue to ask Stenson, making his first visit to his adopted home of Dubai since returning from the United States, to criticise the selection plans of the European captain Nick Faldo. The experienced Swede refused to break ranks, however, and followed the example of his teammates by accepting collective responsibility for the Cup disappointment. "Everybody involved in the team probably felt they could have done a little better," he concluded. "Some of the guys are probably unhappy with their performances, others played great but as a team we know we could have done better." wjohnson@thenational.ae