Moments earlier, the equally unheralded Welshman, Phillip Price, had also been engulfed by ecstatic supporters when he birdied the 16th to defeat the world's No. 2 golfer, Phil Mickelson, 3 and 2. Suddenly, the two were stars and it was no more than they deserved.

In times to come, much will be said, and written, about why Europe defeated America 15.5-12.5, thereby inflicting the visitors' biggest defeat since 1985 when the score was 16.5-11.5. Sam Torrance, Europe's inspired captain, will get much kudos. So, too, will the team's inspirational leader, Colin Montgomerie, who won an incredible 4.5 points out of five.

But, arguably the biggest cheer should be reserved for the team's rookies who played such an important part. Step forward Price, McGinley, Niclas Fasth and Pierre Fulke. You all deserve a bow, irrespective of what your overall point totals might suggest.

Like the great captain he is, Torrance, chose to cram the top of his singles order with his big guns, and the likes of Montgomerie, Darren Clarke, Bernhard Langer, Padraig Harrington and Thomas Bjorn did not disappoint. Altogether, Torrance's top six choices accumulated four and a half points, a significant start considering his team needed only seven to bring the trophy home.

Torrance, unlike Strange, got his order right and the men at the top of that order did what he hoped they would do. Nevertheless, even that would not have been enough without, Price, without McGinley and the rest.

In the past, successive European teams have often been let down by the fact they did not have the same strength in depth as the Americans, but that certainly was not the case here. Instead, of the four rookies, Price won a point and the other three all halved their matches. What is more, Jesper Parnevik, a man who was so out of sorts at the start of match that he was ignored until Friday afternoon, also secured a halve. Against Tiger Woods, the world's No. 1 for goodness sake, and who would have thought that before the teams went out?

Overall, it was a wonderful result, and one the Europpeans can build on in two years time when the likes of Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald and others will all be knocking on the door for selection for the match at Oakland Hills.

But, in the meantime, let's hear it for our rookies, some of whom, let's not forget, were the subject of ridicule because they were perceived to be performing so poorly coming into the match.

Of course, come the morning, when the newspapers come out, it will be Torrance, Montgomerie, Langer and one or two others who will be perceived as Europe's most influential figures. Rightly so, too. But, let us also give a cheer to the rookies. It is no more than they deserve.