The US won back the Solheim Cup from Europe 15 1/2-12 1/2 on Sunday, and picked up a new star along the way.
Paula Creamer, the 19-year-old rookie who all but guaranteed a victory two weeks ago, backed it up with a crushing victory over Laura Davies that set the tone for an American rout in singles.
The Americans won six of the first seven matches -- none of those even reached the 18th hole -- and were leading 14-10 when Meg Mallon clinched the cup with a par putt on the 16th hole for a 2-up lead, assuring them at least the 14 1/2 points required to win the cup and keep their record perfect at home.
PHOTO: AFP
Mallon won the next hole with a par to finish a 3-and-1 victory over Karen Stupples, and the celebration was on.
The only downer was after the closing ceremonies.
US captain Nancy Lopez said Mallon became light-headed because of the heat, and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. It left a US team that was slightly more somber, but still all smiles about the trophy before them.
Europe was subdued for obvious reasons.
"I'm not one to grieve too hard or too long over golf," Europe captain Catrin Nilsmark said. "I'm disappointed, mostly for the girls. They tried their best and they did their best. ... But we got down by so much. There were some big numbers up there."
Rosie Jones played in the final, meaningless match and earned a halve against Suzann Pettersen. It was the only match that reached the 18th hole on the final day.
The victory was a perfect sendoff for Jones, 45, who is retiring, and for Lopez, who drilled her troops through extra sessions of alternate shot before they arrived at Crooked Stick. The matches were tied at 8 going into the last day, an advantage for the Americans because they historically have dominated singles.
Sunday was no exception.
"It's like a dream," Lopez said. "They played their hearts out."
For Europe, it was another lost chance to win the Solheim Cup on foreign soil. The US now leads the series 6-3.
Annika Sorenstam produced the only victory for the Europeans among the first six matches. They needed more help than that, but it was a hopeless cause.
Creamer, four months removed from her high school graduation in Florida, birdied the first hole against Davies and was on her way. She was 6 up at the turn and won the match with a tee shot that stopped 3 feet above the hole on the 13th, a birdie that was conceded for a 7-and-5 victory.
For the first time all week, the US had the lead.
"This is a huge feat for me," Creamer said. "It was one of my goals to get here, and when I got here, I wanted to win. This is an unbelieveable experience."
Mark Calcavecchia struggled with his putter in the final round and made just one birdie on the weekend, but ended a four-year winless streak by closing with a 1-over 71 for a one-stroke victory.
Calcavecchia, whose only birdie since the second round came at the 475-yard, par-4 fifth on Sunday, had a 5-under 275 total, the highest winning score for a full-field, non-major US PGA Tour event this year.
Ben Crane closed with a 66, and 2004 US Amateur champion Ryan Moore had a 70 to finish tied for second.
Calcavecchia ended any chance of a playoff by sticking his second shot at No. 18 within 6 feet of the pin and then lagging the putt to within tap-in range.
"I felt like it was a 36-hole day," said the 45-year-old Calcavecchia, whose last victory came at the 2001 Phoenix Open.
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