Terrific golf, pity about unruly crowd

Now that the dust has settled on the dramatic events at Bethpage last weekend, it is time to reflect on what was a most extraordinary Ryder Cup tournament that will long be remembered for both good and bad reasons.

- By Nobby Piles

We should not allow the poor behaviour of sections of the crowd to detract from the terrific golf that was played throughout the tournament. It should also not be forgotten that on those first two days the American team didn't play that badly but the Europeans were simply outstanding. It was teamwork at its best under the inspirational leadership of captain Luke Donald.

The American golfers produced a brave fightback in the singles. It made the last day much more gripping than had been expected and the final 15-13 score more acceptable for the hosts. However, the damage had been done on the opening two days.

The sad thing is that the brilliant golf from both teams at times became secondary to the unsavoury incidents sparked by some of the crowd. You know something is not quite right when mistakes by players are greeted by louder cheers than any fine shots. It's a bit like tennis fans applauding double faults.