The first European hoisted in the air was Bernhard Langer, the champagne-soaked captain of the winning Ryder Cup team.
Then it was time to lift the star.
Sergio Garcia.
How appropriate.
The flamboyant Spaniard took care of the lone omission on his Ryder Cup resume, winning a crucial singles match against Phil Mickelson on Sunday that ended any hopes of an American comeback.
With fist-pumping emotion that stirred his own team and rattled the Americans, the 24-year-old Garcia completed a remarkable weekend at Oakland Hills by standing front and center -- four wins and a draw -- in Europe's most dominating victory.
``Anyone who can get 4 1/2 points is bloody good,'' teammate Colin Montgomerie said. ``To be the youngest member of our team and have that effervescent personality that he does, he adds a great deal to our team.''
Mickelson was 2-up after Garcia made a mess of the eighth hole, stirring hopes the Americans could pull off an unprecedented rally.
At the time, the top five U.S. players -- a top-loaded order that also included Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry -- were winning their matches, threatening to overcome a formidable 11-5 deficit after the first two days.
Oakland Hills was rocking with chants of ``USA! USA! USA!''
That's when Garcia took over.
``I was mainly trying to be positive,'' he said. ``I knew if I got something going, I would at least show my partners that I could get back in the game, have a chance to win a point and help out a little bit.''
Garcia hit a soaring tee shot at the par-3 ninth that nestled 18 feet from the flag. He calmly rolled in the uphill birdie putt, cutting Mickelson's lead in half.
At the 10th, Garcia made another birdie, this one from 20 feet. After retrieving his ball from the cup, he pumped his fist and screamed, ``Yeah! Come on!'' -- a matador challenging someone to take him down.
Lefty couldn't.
Garcia made his third straight birdie at the 11th, sticking a shot from 130 yards to 2 feet. He was ahead for the first time in the match, and the momentum seemed to be shifting all over the course.
As if inspired by Garcia's performance, the Europeans farther down the board began to take control of their own matches. The crowd got quieter. The Europeans in the gallery began congregating around the 18th green, sensing their team would soon be celebrating there.
How right they were.
``He's a very reliable character,'' Montgomerie said. ``Even when he was 2 down, we knew that game was not over. That's what he means to us.''
Mickelson bogeyed the par-3 13th, putting Garcia 2-up. Three holes later, it was over. Lefty inexplicably attempted a knockdown shot over the water at the treacherous 16th, watching in dismay as his ball rolled back into the pond.
Garcia played it safe, punching his ball away from the water and coming up just short of the green. He rolled the ball to about 6 feet and made the par putt that ended the match 3 and 2.
It was the first European point of the day, but it wouldn't be the last. One by one, Garcia's teammates followed his lead while he scurried back and forth between the last couple of holes, cheering them on.
Lee Westwood sank the putt that ensured the Europeans would take the chalice back to their side of the Atlantic. Montgomerie made the putt that gave his team an outright victory. But no one was more valuable than Garcia.
He played five times over three days, winning four times and halving the other match. While Westwood had the same record and Montgomerie was the sentimental favorite, Garcia set the emotional tone for the Europeans.
Sometimes, it's hard to get a word in -- even if you're a teammate. At the evening news conference, Westwood was about to answer a question when Garcia jumped in.
``He's like this on the course, too,'' Westwood quipped. ``You can't get him to shut up.''
Sure, some get annoyed at his antics. The fist-pumping. The screams. The in-your-face banter. Whatever. It's clear that Garcia thrives in the pressure cooker of team golf.
Just look at his record.
Even at his young age, he's already played in three Ryder Cups. His record in the team matches (better ball and alternate shot) is a stunning 9-1-2. He has played with three partners -- Westwood, Luke Donald and Jesper Parnevik -- all with equal success.
``I just live for this,'' Garcia said. ``I can't wait to play this event. Maybe you try a little harder, believe in yourself more than you do at another tournament.''
The only question: Could Garcia win a match on his own?
He lost singles in 1999 and '02. Now, he's got one in the win column.
As the Europeans celebrated on the 18th green, Langer was lifted by Thomas Levet. Then Garcia jumped on Darren Clarke's back, pumping his arms up and down in tune with the raucous crowd.
