For Americans, It's a Ball at The Belfry : Ryder Cup: The U.S. dominates the head-to-head play, 7 1/2-4 1/2, en route to a 15-13 victory.

By RANDY HARVEY

Sept. 27, 1993 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

SUTTON COLDFIELD, England —

Tom Watson has won the British Open five times, the Masters twice and the U.S. Open once. He has been the PGA player of the year six times and the tour’s leading money winner five times. But the U.S. captain said he had never had a prouder moment in the sport than he did Sunday, when he accepted the Ryder Cup from the Duke of York, Prince Andrew.

That is the same cup that a member of golf’s royalty, Seve Ballesteros of Spain, had thanked the Americans for bringing with them on the Concorde last week so that the Europeans could return it to their trophy case for the next two years.

Instead, Sam Ryder’s cup will be making the round trip, an itinerary that was confirmed over three days by the 12 best golfers from the United States and Europe.

Perhaps that was predictable when the first two days of foursomes produced a mere one-point lead for the Europeans, because Sunday at The Belfry was reserved for singles, a format at which the Americans again proved their superiority en route to a 15-13 victory.

In 11 head-to-head matches, the Americans won six and the Europeans only three, none by their murderers’ row of Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal. Meantime, the United States got victories from three major championship winners, Tom Kite, Payne Stewart and Ray Floyd, as well as from Chip Beck and two Ryder Cup rookies, Jim Gallagher Jr. and Davis Love III.

“This is the finest experience I have ever had in the game of golf,” Watson said. “There is nothing like winning the Ryder Cup. That’s because you’re playing for something besides yourself. It means more.”

In this case, it means that the United States once again can claim to be at the head of golf’s class. After Europe held the cup for six years, the Americans won it back by one point in 1991 at Kiawah, Island, S.C. But this victory was more significant because it was here, at the headquarters of the European PGA, where the home team won in 1985 and retained the cup four years later with a draw.

Besides, the Europeans never truly accepted defeat in South Carolina. They complained that the U.S. players introduced an unseemly element to the competition with their “War by the Shore” mentality and that the jingoistic crowds were overly boisterous, conditions that Faldo said Sunday “left a nasty taste in our mouths.”

Both sides said the Ryder Cup’s dignity was restored here. The crowds, 30,000 strong each day, cheered longer and louder for the Europeans, to be sure, but the Americans did not feel unappreciated. “The most knowledgeable crowds, the greatest crowds, are here in England,” Watson said.

Unlike in 1991, when Langer missed a six-foot putt on the final hole of the final match to give the victory to the Americans, there was no defining moment in this year’s matches.

By the time the last pair, Faldo and Paul Azinger, walked down the fairway on No. 18, the outcome had been determined.

That was too bad, because they appeared primed to provide a memorable finish, concluding instead with an anticlimactic draw. There was one splendid shot, however, when Faldo scored the second hole in one in the Ryder Cup’s 66-year history with his six-iron shot on the 173-yard No. 14.

“That’s the way you had to play out there this week,” Faldo said. “Close isn’t good enough.”

Faldo’s hole in one came shortly after Floyd almost aced the same hole. Floyd’s shot hit the pin but wouldn’t go down.

Because a tie allows the holder to retain the cup, the Americans guaranteed they would not leave here without it when Floyd, who at 51 is the oldest player ever in the Ryder Cup, sank a three-foot putt on No. 16 to remain two holes ahead of Olazabal with only two to play.

Floyd eventually won by two holes, also ensuring the outright victory for the Americans. It was a special day for him because he was the non-playing captain when the United States failed to win the cup here four years ago. Floyd said this would be his last Ryder Cup as a player.

He was one of Watson’s two wild-card selections for the team. The other, Lanny Wadkins, did not play Sunday. After Europe’s Sam Torrance could not start because of an infected little toe on his left foot, Watson had to send one of his players to the sidelines. Wadkins graciously volunteered.

“It wouldn’t have been fair for me to play when the other guys worked two years to earn their places on the team,” he said.

Considering that the tenacious Wadkins was on the team for the very type of challenge that he would have faced Sunday in his scheduled match against Ballesteros, Floyd second-guessed the decision.

“It was a very admirable gesture,” he said. “But when I go to war, I want Lanny by my side.”

Gallagher, however, turned out to be a good soldier, stepping up against Ballesteros and beating him, 3 and 2. The Spaniard helped, playing the first six holes in five over par.

Other impressive winners for the United States were Kite, 5 and 3 over Langer, and Stewart, 3 and 2 over Mark James.

But the United States, which won head-to-head play, 7 1/2-4 1/2, also benefited from some nervous play down the stretch by the Europeans. Woosnam was two holes ahead with six to play and drew his match with Fred Couples.

Ryder Cup rookie Barry Lane was three up with five to play and lost by one to Beck.

Another rookie, Italian Costantino Rocca, was ahead of Love by one with two to play and lost by one.

That was the most painful finish for the Europeans, because Rocca missed a four-foot par putt on No. 17 that would have tied the hole, then hit his tee shot into the crowd on the dangerous 18th and made bogey. Love won the 18th hole and the match with a six-foot putt.

“It would be best not to talk about the score line too much,” Europe’s captain, Bernard Gallacher, said at the post-match news conference. “Otherwise, we’d start having post-mortems and blaming people.”

Moments later, he seemed about to do so.

“We all feel for Rocca, I think,” he said. “The Ryder Cup, in my opinion, unfortunately revolved around him at the 18th. When you’re the first Italian to play in the Ryder Cup . . . .”

Before he could finish the sentence, Woosnam cut him off.

“Bernard,” he said, “it’s a team game, and let’s just leave it at that.”

Gallacher obliged.

“No one lost the Ryder Cup,” he said. “The Americans won it.”

Ryder Cup

Results of the 30th Ryder Cup Matches at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield, England:

FINAL STANDINGS

* United States 15, Europe 13

The United States is 23-5-2 in Ryder Cup competition and 5-2-1 in the format with Europe. SUNDAY’S RESULTS

SINGLES

United States 7 1/2, Europe 4 1/2

* Lanny Wadkins, United States, and Sam Torrance, Scotland, halved. Match not played. Torrance withdrew because of injury. Wadkins designated to sit out. Match deemed halved, with each team receiving one-half point.) * Fred Couples (U.S.) and Ian Woosnam, halved.

* Chip Beck (U.S.) def. Barry Lane, 1-up.

* Colin Montgomerie (E) def. Lee Janzen, 1-up.

* Peter Baker (E) def. Corey Pavin, 2-up.

* Payne Stewart (U.S.) def. Mark James, 3 and 2.

* Joakim Haeggman (E) def. John Cook, 1-up.

* Jim Gallagher (U.S.) def. Seve Ballesteros, 3 and 2.

* Tom Kite (U.S.) def. Bernhard Langer, 5 and 3.

* Davis Love III (U.S.) def. Costantino Rocca, 1-up.

* Ray Floyd (U.S.) def. Jose Maria Olazabal, 2 up.

* Paul Azinger (U.S.) and Nick Faldo, halved.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

FOURSOMES