KEY POINTS:
Even in a year when Tiger scored an immortal victory in the US Open and Greg Norman so nearly rolled back the generations at Royal Birkdale, the Ryder Cup is surely going to be remembered as the premier golfing show of 2008.
The great irony is that, three
months after the golf world went into a funk because the best player was going to be on the disabled list for a year, there were three days of the most mesmerising and addictive play imaginable.
The world watched the emergence of a new generation of young stars for whom Valhalla and this Ryder Cup might come to be watersheds in their careers.
Top of that list is Anthony Kim. Sure we've seen him win twice on the PGA Tour this year but this Ryder Cup rookie's performance was nothing short of sensational. He was the more confident and engaging one in the foursomes and fourball combination with Phil Mickelson.
Then, on the final day, his demolition of Sergio Garcia with a mix of brilliant shotmaking and hardball matchplay tactics provided exactly the momentum his team needed from a player at the top of the order.
After his win he was in the gallery, high-fiving, hugging fans and signing autographs. Kim is creating a sense of excitement on a golf course not seen since the early days of Tiger. He'll be a delight to see in person at Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers late next month.
Those who hold tight to golf's traditions were probably horrified by the antics of Kim's team-mate Boo Weekley over the three days.
The sniffy and pompous, mostly British, commentary team we had to endure here were forever criticising Weekley's engagement with the gallery and his light-hearted incitement to encourage the US team. The gallery responded with their regular outbursts of, what else, "Booing" whenever Weekley hit a shot. I thought it was great fun.
The distance JB Holmes hits the ball is almost immoral. In a weekend full of extraordinary shots, I thought a six iron he played uphill from 200m to a tightly tucked pin on a par five during the second day of fourballs, might be the one I remember the most. Although it was just ahead of that outrageous bunker shot Weekley holed in his singles against Oliver Wilson.
And then there was Hunter Mahan. Probably the least naturally flamboyant of the four rookie stars, he couldn't help but join the party after holing a bomb of a putt on the 17th which guaranteed him at least half a point against Paul Casey.
There is no prize money in the Ryder Cup and players on the same team are wildly supporting each other. In other words, it is completely different from a regular tournament on the PGA Tour. Therefore normal rules of behaviour for both players and fans don't apply, and that's what gives the Ryder Cup its special place in the game.
But it seems the events at Valhalla will be the last time Nick Faldo has a direct involvement in the Cup. He made a major blunder for the singles by having three of his best players too low in the order and the Cup was lost before their matches were finished.
His naturally prickly personality didn't endear him to the public, the press or some of his players. It's sad that such an important player in Ryder Cup history will end his involvement with not much more than a whimper.
The next Ryder Cup will be in Wales in 2010. While the victorious Paul Azinger is sure to lead America in their defence at Celtic Manor, the logical move is to bring back Ian Woosnam, Wales' best player and the victorious European captain in 2006, to be in charge of the home team.
