³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Best Booism:
"The adrenalin, I feel like a dog that somebody done stuck a needle to and it juiced me up like I've been running around a chasing one of them bunnies."

step aside, we have unearthed sport's next .

This, after all, is the man who also pumped up Paul Azinger and his team-mates by telling them they all had to "compatibate". Job done, Boo.

Best Zingerism:
Captain Azinger has spoken all week about his players needing to be fit for the fight. Here was his reaction to Saturday's play:

"I just think that our gamers gamed up today."

Best Faldoism:
In the wake of "sandwich gate" (which flared up when his pairings where filmed by TV ahead of their official release), Faldo tried - as ever - to be witty.

Read the media centre transcript and judge for yourself how successful he was...

Media question: "Have you identified any player who will play all five sessions?

Faldo: "Who will play all five? Yeah, I have a few. I have to put it on my list so you can read it some time. (laughter)

"If you see five cheeses next to it, then he's going to be... could be in, so four tunas means four matches and chicken is three matches, OK, lettuce is two.

"Let us begin. (no laughter)"

Went down as well as the Raquel gags Nick.

Biggest success stories:
Boo Weekley, who had a week he will never forget. Wildcards Ian Poulter and Hunter Mahan, who snared four and 3.5 points respectively out of five.

Most vindicated:
Faldo for selecting Poulter as a wildcard when a vast majority of people disagreed with the pick.

Biggest disappointment:
The form of flag bearer Sergio Garcia, who took just one point out of four for Europe. Back-to-back major champion Padraig Harrington gets a not-so-honourable mention.

Biggest disappointment (fans award):
The many US fans who set up camp at the 18th on Sunday, hoping to see the putt that won back the Ryder Cup.

As it turned out, they only saw one hole of golf - which Paul Casey won after Hunter Mahan plopped in the water - as the celebrations took place on 17.

Best dressed:
Honourable mentions go to the Leeds Leprechauns and the Manchester matadors/Boer War soldiers/Nick Faldos (they changed outfit every day).

But for sheer comic genius, the American wearing a white sheet simply bearing the word "Boo" wins the award.

Most bizarre sight from a golfer:
Boo riding his driver like a horse and pretending to whip his backside going up the 1st on Sunday.

Best put down: (NB might not be quite so valid now)
Sergio Garcia is practising with his driver on the range.

A US fan shouts, "Hey, Sergio, JB Holmes hits his five wood that far." Garcia counters with: "At least mine is on the fairway."

Best almost-but-not-quite grasp of European culture by an American:
It's a tie between one guy saying to his mate as they listen to the European fans' vast repertoire of songs, "They learn them at soccer tournaments" and another chap explaining to his wife the various flags draped over the front of the grandstand; "I think the blue one (Scottish saltire) is Wales."

Best European chant:
A dead heat between: "We play football with our feet. Doo-da, doo-da", "Where's your Tiger Gone?" and, in response to burgeoning Boo-mania: "Boo ate all the pies, Boo ate all the pies..."

Best US chant:
...ummmmm?

Best fans:
The Europeans. Their unflinching dedication to duty in the face of overwhelming numbers of opposition made this an event for all fans - Euro and US - to savour.

The highlight was serenading each and every player onto the 1st tee on Sunday with a taylor-made song. Try some of these on for size...

Ollie Wilson: Ollie, Ollie, Ollie, oi, oi, oi!
Justin Rose: We've got our own JR, we've got our own JR
Graeme McDowell: You've got Big Mac, we've got Gmac
Sergio Garcia: Viva Espana
Robert Karlsson: Karlsson's bigger than Abba, Karlsson's bigger than Abba, la-laa-laa-laa
Paul Casey: Casey loves his spinach, Casey loves his spinach, la-laa-laa-laa
Ian Poulter: Walking in a Poulter wonderland

That said, a very honourable mention to the American fans, who conducted themselves with good grace and respect and ensured no repeat of Brookline.

That is, except for one chap watching Hansen v Holmes at the 16th, who hollered: "Close him out JB. Step on his neck!"

Scariest moment:
Watching a crazed Azinger bounce up and down like a madman at the the night before the action started.

The US captain whipped the crowd into a frenzy as the Lip stood by, vulnerable and quivering in a sea of raw American patriotism.

[NB The Lip lived to tell the tale and actually quite enjoyed it (er, well one half did).]

Best nickname:
Johnny Valhalla, for the Leeds leprechaun who in his weary, I've been partying all week state, sounded exactly like Johnny Vegas.

Best contextual use of legend Muhammad Ali:
The Lip is too modest to say. Pah, no it isn't - the Louisville Lip of course.

Best country crooner:
Being in the country music hotbed of Kentucky, this category has been keenly contested all week, but the Lip has come across a worthy winner. He's called and he is a lyrical genius.

Hey I'm a country man
A city boy can't do the things I can
I can hotwire your tractor and plough up your land
Hey baby I'm a country man

You like the Ivy league, , tennis sweater type
But girl I'm here to tell you: 'don't believe the hype'

Hey I'm a country man
I can with my two bare hands
Girl you better move quick I'm in high demand...

Quite sure you are. The Lip would marry you tomorrow if he were a she. But you might be more comfortable with .