THE ROUT that had threatened all week and had been bravely, if exhaustingly, repulsed, duly came about yesterday and Europe were simply swamped by the USA in the final series of singles in the Solheim Cup at St Pierre.
Some 15,000 people were attracted to this lovely little corner of Monmouthshire by the prospect of a two point overnight lead being turned into a memorable victory over the Americans. Instead, in a silence that was often profound and embarrassing, Europe won but a solitary singles match, halved two more and lost the remaining nine.
The final scoreline was 17-11, the six point losing margin the same as it had been at The Greenbrier two years ago. If ever a series of matches showed that a contest was truly a no contest, it was yesterday's singles.
When Annika Sorenstam, the home side's best player, won her match at the top of the order at mid day it was already "High Noon" for Europe. The rest of the scoreboard showed that the US led in 8 of the other 11 matches and were all square in the remainder.
The American scores were recorded in red and that was all that visitors saw all day. "I only glanced at the leader boards," said Dottie Pepper later, "but they were all a great colour."
Two years ago, Europe were level, 5-5, after the fourball and foursomes series, only to lose 13-7. What that showed, and what yesterday's series showed, is that while lesser players can take comfort in the support, moral and practical, that a partnership offers, when it comes to the singles they are out on their own - there are no hiding places.
In that situation, the best players win, the only danger - as the Americans showed in the Ryder Cup at Oak Hill - being complacency. At St Pierre, the Americans had most of the best players, with all 12 of them inside the top 21 in the world rankings. Europe had only six, the remaining six ranking from 22 to 97, and they were found out yesterday.
Before the matches started there was a lot of brave talk about being able to find "12 great players" for Europe. While there are undoubtedly some say three "great" players in Europe, there are not 12 and there probably never will be. The men have not got 12 and they've been searching for far longer.
After the matches were over there was a lot of clap trap talked, mostly by the captain, Mickey Walker, who said: "The event itself has been a wonderful success." It may have been from an organisational and promotional angle but the fact is that the scoreline was 17-11 and it can be guaranteed that no American would regard a loss of that magnitude as any kind of success.
Walker said she thought the expanded format which gives a total of 28 points, rather than 20 to be played for, was a good thing. How she arrives at this conclusion defies all logic as more points gives the stronger team the better chance - and the "stronger team are the Americans.
This kind of clap trap becomes dangerous when it is realised that if Europe continue to lose, it will take only two or three more matches before everyone loses interest, and a potentially magnificent event will be downgraded, or even lost. The format must be urgently altered to give the European tour a chance to learn to toddle before walking and running can be considered.
Yesterday's golf was deeply depressing to European eyes. Sorenstam won well, Kathryn Marshall was unlucky to be two under and still lose to Val Skinner and Alison Nicholas was one under when she halved with Kelly Robbins. That half point meant that the cup was retained by America at 1.36 p.m. It was £25 to get in yesterday and not many of the 15,000 there would have regarded that as great value.
Elsewhere, Europe were mostly playing plus par golf. Laura Davies, with not a single birdie, was two over against the decorative Michelle McGann, who also beat her in a play off for the State Farm Rail Classic earlier this month.
Lisa Hackney was level but lost on the last; Dale Reid one over; Helen Alfredsson and Lotte Neumann both two over; Marie Laure de Lorenzi and Catrin Nilsmark both three over; Joanne Morley four over and Trish Johnson five over. All this on a relatively easy golf course: it was not nearly good enough.
Thankfully this never became a confrontational cup as some events at The Greenbrier two years ago had indicated it might. Some of the credit for this can be taken by the informal choir the St Pierre Spontaneous Orpheus that sprang up in the stand behind the first tee, orchestrated by the former tour player Jane Connachan.
They had a song for every player and for all occasions: the Swedes got something from ABBA and there was a version of the Marseillaise for Marie Laure de Lorenzi. Even a passing Radid Five Live commentator, Maureen Madill, was serenaded with When Irish Eyes are Smiling and perhaps the best of the lot was when team captain Mickey Walker appeared with the eye patch that covered a reaction to a wasp sting. "Da-dee-da-da-da-da-dee-da", they sang, in a very presentable version of the theme music from The Sting.
It was infectious good humour, the songs were stifled in good time before the players teed off and they helped create a wonderful atmosphere. Unfortunately, yesterday, it began, and ended, on the first tee.
At 7 a.m., in St Pierre's tiny church at the back of the regular 18th green, Alison Nicholas read the lesson for the early morning service. It was from 1 Corinthians 9, verses 24-25 and read, partly: "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain." But races, inevitably, go to the swift and yesterday the Americans were much the faster.
