Completely Preposterous and Wonderfully Weekley: How the Us Press Saw Victory at Valhalla

From the manner of the reaction at Valhalla you might think that the US press would have pictures of the Ryder Cup plastered all over the nation's front pages this morning, but there were a lot of other stories competing for the headlines, not least the final game at Yankee Stadium and the weekend's gridiron.

Inside the back pages the Ryder Cup coverage itself was less crowingly smug than might have been expected, one or two digs aside.

The Chicago Herald Tribune pointed out that "Europe's big three – Sergio García, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington went a combined 0-7-5" and picked their combined performance out as the biggest single reason for Europe's defeat. The same paper was gracious enough to point out that "Nick Faldo will get flogged in the European press for bypassing Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke and for back loading his singles lineup. But, c'mon. Ian Poulter, one of his picks, earned four of Europe's 11½ points."

Most articles though concentrated on the invigorated US performance, with the majority of correspondents attributing it to the presence of the rookies in the side, and Boo Weekley and Anthony Kim in particular.

The Washington Post said: "Kim set the tone for the American side as Azinger's lead-off golfer, matched against Garcia. The flamboyant 23-year-old native of Los Angeles not only rose to the occasion, he practically soared to a stunning 5&4 victory, the most lopsided triumph by an American Cup rookie since 1999."

On ESPN.com, Pat Forde praised Weekley's clowning contribution and his "Happy Gilmore dance" down the first fairway in particular, "riding his driver between his legs and whipping it like a quarter horse. It was completely preposterous. And it was totally, wonderfully Weekley.

"Don't think victory at Valhalla wasn't spurred in large part by a daily dose of Weekley levity. Don't think his act didn't play perfectly with the predominantly Southern crowd that turned this compelling three-day golf match into an SEC football game.

"The fans took their cue from Boo," Forde continued, warming to his theme, "the arm-waving, fist-clenching, tobacco-chewing, shot-making, cheer leading, Westwood-frosting, syntax-fracturing tour de force at this Ryder Cup. Book smart? No. Course smart? Yes. The favorite of every American golf fan today? Yeah, buddy."

The New York Times attributed the US victory to a broader mix of factors: "The heavily favored European team lost because of a determined and enthusiastic group of motivated newcomers, newly energized veterans like Furyk and a creative captain in Azinger."

The Chicago Herald Tribune mused: "Maybe the message was complex. Or maybe it was simple. Relish the underdog role. Play loose. Make the red-white-and-blue crowd the 13th man. Don't worry about who's not here. Support your team-mates. Take it one shot at a time."

USA Today was happy to revel in the fact that the monkey was finally of the back of the US team. "In the prairies and backwoods of the Bluegrass State, the Americans finally emerged from an international match-play forest where they had lost five of last six meetings, including blow-outs in 2004 and 2006 that left cynics questioning the commitment and passion for the Ryder Cup. That criticism won't fly anymore."