Westwood and Donald inflict Woods’s worst Ryder Cup defeat

Sunday, 3 October 2010 23:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

NEWPORT, Wales, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Lee Westwood and Luke Donald handed Tiger Woods his heaviest Ryder Cup defeat on Sunday, destroying the world number one and partner Steve Stricker 6&5 in a one-sided foursomes encounter.

The Europeans resumed the unfinished match with a four-hole lead after nine and Westwood made American jaws drop by draining a 40-foot putt for a birdie two at the 10th, prompting plenty of whooping and hollering from the Celtic Manor crowd.

Westwood and Donald also won the 11th with a birdie to charge six up before closing out Woods and Stricker with a par-three at the 13th.

“It feels great,” Donald told reporters. “We thought they were going to come out strong and we needed to come out stronger.

“That putt Westy holed on 10 was just magnificent -- I can’t even put it into words. It was just amazing to see that go in and to go five up just gave us a huge boost.”

Westwood and Donald have been Europe’s anchormen this week, the former notching two and a half points out of three and his fellow Englishman picking up two points with three different partners.

It was the worst defeat in the competition for Woods since he and Mark O’Meara lost 5&3 to Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer on the American’s Ryder Cup debut at Valderrama in 1997.

Westwood also made it six wins out of seven in pairs encounters with Woods.

“I’ve had good partners,” said the world number three. “That certainly has a lot to do with it and you know when you’re playing Tiger you just seem to up your game a little bit.

“I suppose he’s got nothing to win, apart from the point, but he’s got a big reputation and it seems like you go out with nothing to lose.”

Donald kept up a remarkable 100 percent record in his sixth foursomes game in the biennial team event.

For Stricker and Woods, it was their first defeat in three matches together this week.