Valhalla 2008 - Singles - Jim Furyk (U.S.A.) v Miguel Angel Jimenez (Europe)

Hole 1 - 448 yards. Jimenez hit well from the tee to finish on the right of the fairway having already cut the corner on the gentle dog-leg. Furyk's tee shot was slightly sliced and bounced off the fairway into the rough just short of the trees. Furyk gambled from there, hitting a clean long iron to just short of the green while Jimenez's approach found the very front of the green some 50 feet from the pin. Furyk played a beautiful pitch to within 3 feet of the hole while Jimenez's putt was safe but some 6 feet short. Jimenez made no mistake with the putt and Furyk hit firmly into the cup to halve the hole. All square.

Hole 2 - 505 yards. Another dog-leg to the left with a fairway bunker to catch the careless drive to the right. Jimenez duly obliged while Furyk was long and straight, ending in perfect position in the centre of the fiarway. Jimenez went for broke with his bunker shot, but although getting plenty of distance on the shot the direction was poor and he found sand again just short of the green. Furyk hit a 5-iron to within 25 feet of the pin and then Jimenez's second sand shot was played cleverly but ran 12 feet past the hole. Furyk then played a beautiful putt to hole out for a birdie and win the hole. Furyk one-up.

Hole 3 - 206 yards. Furyk's long iron off the tee was underhit and finished safely over the water but in the rough well short of the green. Jimenez hit the perfect tee-shot, the ball landing just short of the pin and rolling 10 feet past to set up a birdie chance. Furyk's chip was a shade too long and he was left with a difficult 15-footer to save his par, but he subsequnely holed out for his 3. Jimenez, putting to win the hole rimmed the hole but stayed out and the hole was halved. Furyk one-up.

Hole 4 - 375 yards. Another great shot off the tee by Furyk left him in a splendid position centre of the fairway. Jimenez was shorter but still okay but from right of the fairway he left his approach short and very close to the bunker guarding the green. Furyk played a timid chip to leave himself a 40-foot putt for a birdie but Jimenez really put the pressure on the American by holing his chip for a 3. Furyk's putt was bold but wide and the match was level again.

Hole 5 - 463 yards. A safe drive by Jimenez left him in reasonable shape on the fairway, but Furyk was just as straight and longer by some 30 yards. Jimenez was though the green with his approach and in light rough but Furyk hit a superb mid-iron to within 12 inches of the pin and the putt was conceded for another birdie for the American. Jimenez need to hole his chip from the rough but was 10-feet short. Furyk one-up.

Hole 6 - 500 yards. Two good drives left comparatively easy approach shots, Jimenez chipping to within 16 feet of the pin, while Furyk was a good 35 feet too strong, and he then left his first putt 6-feet shot. Jimenez had a tricky 16-footer to square the match, the putt looked good but pulled up on the very lip of the hole so that was 4 for Jimenez. Furyk took an age on his putt to halve the hole, then hit it just wide for a bogie and letting the match slip back to all-square.

Hole 7 - 601 yards. With two alternative routes at this hole Furyk took the conventional one and finished in the centre of the fairway. Jimenez took the scenic route, over the water, and was rewarded with a fine position with an open approach, albeit back over the water again, to the small green. His approach shot was a beauty, just failing to reach the green but in perfect position for a simple chip to the pin position at the back of the green. Furyk was just on the fairway but over to the left and his third shot ended up behind the green and in the rough. Jimenez chipped to within 4 feet of the flag, and Furyk really needed to hole his chip from the rough but overcooked the shot and was 10 feet past. Jimenez duly holed his putt to go ahead in the match for the first time. Jimenez one-up.

Hole 8 - 180 yards. An easy par-3 and so it proved with both Jimenez and Furyk getting within 12 feet of the hole from the tee, and both holing the putts to halve the hole in birdies. Jimenez one-up.

Hole 9 - 416 yards. Disaster for Jimenez as he again found the fairway bunker from the tee, while Furyk hit a safe drive straight fown the middle. Jimenez was well short of the green with his sand shot while the American chipped to within 15 feet of the flag. Jimenez then played a delightful ship to finish just 2-feet short of the hole but Furyk rammed home the putt to win the hole and bring the match back to all-square again.

Hole 10 - 594 yards - Both drove well from the tee, a few yards separately the two balls in the centre of the fairway. Furyk's second shot was better than Jimenez's and when Jimenez then made a hash of his approach to the green and ended up in the sand again, Furyk had an easy chip to within 6 feet, and holed from there as Jimenez exploded out of the bunker and through the green into the rough. Furyk one-up.

Hole 11 - 208 yards. Halved in pars as both players failed to hole gettable putts from 10 and 12 feet. Furyk one-up.

Hole 12 - 464 yards. Furyk hooked his drive into the rough while Jimenez was long and straight. Furyk went for the glory shot with his second and ended up in the trees still well short of the green. Jimenez played a careful approach shot to set up his par, while Furyk was only able to play out of the heavy rough amidst the trees and ended up in the greenside bunker. Jimenez only had to chip and hole out from 3 feet to win the hole. All-square.

Hole 13 - 352 yards. A fairly easy par 4 hole and with both golfers on the green in regulation it was a matter of who, if eirther, could sink their respective putts. Jimenez just failed from 20 feet, slipping just past the hole, while Furyk from 12 feet rattled the cut to regain the lead in the match. Furyk one-up.

Hole 14 - 215 yards. Another halved hole in par but Furyk need to hole out from 25 feet to earn his three, leaving Jimenez a nerve-bending putt from 8 feet which dropped after pausing on the very rim of the hole. Furyk one-up.

Hole 15 - 434 yards. Jimenez for once outdrove Furyk but then fluffed his approach shot while Furyk was on the green in two. Jimeenz recovered with a good chip and a putt from 12 feet, while the American two-putted frm 40 feet to share the hole. Furyk one-up.

Hole 16 - 511 yards. Both maanged to hook their drives into deep rough. Jimenez recovered the better of the two but still needed to sink a 20-foot putt to save his par. Furyk was short, then found the sand in front of the green, and two-putted form 25 feet for a bogie 5. All-square.

Hole 17 - Furyk hit a great drive, Jimenez was nearly 40 yards shorter and always struggling after that as Furyk was on the edge of the green in two and despite two-putting from there Jimenez need to hole from 35 feet to halve the hole. He failed and went one-down with just one to play.

Hole 18 - 547 yards. A superb drive by Jimenez after Furyk had left his drive short and to the left of the fairway. Jimenez's long iron ended in perfect position for the chip to the green, but Furyk's second was beautifully played and the balls were only a few yards apart for the third shots. Furyk played first and left his ball just 12 feet from the pin putting immense pressure on Jimenez who had to win the hole to halve the match. He responded brilliantly, leaving his chip just 18 inches short of the hole, a putt which was instantly conceded by Furyk. Now Furyk needed to hole out from around 12 feet. With several of the American players who's matches had been completed cheering him on Furyk took an age to line up the putt. Finally he played the stroke, the ball hit firmly and straight into the centre of the hole to win the match for the U.S.A.  Furyk won by one hole. (In reality Furyk won 2 & 1.) 

Terry Goodchild