U.S. is finally able to party

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Nine years, three defeats, two wipeouts and one absent superstar since the last time it belonged to the U.S., the Ryder Cup changed hands Sunday at Valhalla Golf Club, where the routine cheer was just as unexpected as the outcome.

“Red, white, Boo!”

For sure, the homespun Boo Weekley inspired the U.S. team and its fans, but it still wasn’t easy coming up with a blueprint for success that didn’t include Tiger Woods. Yet that’s exactly how the underdog U.S. team played it, winning 16 1/2 -11 1/2 , with a trump of Europe’s aces that no one could have forecast.

Neither Sergio Garcia nor Lee Westwood nor Padraig Harrington won a match in three days; and when 23-year-old Ryder Cup rookie Anthony Kim laid a bruising 5-and-4 defeat on Garcia in the first of the 12 singles matches Sunday, the U.S. was off and running.

Jim Furyk’s 2-and-1 victory over Miguel Angel Jimenez in the eighth match clinched the victory, giving the U.S. the 14 1/2 points it needed, and it was over, even with four matches still out on the course.

And so after standing in mute misery, watching back-to-back-to-back victory celebrations of group-singing, flag-waving and Guinness-swilling by the European side, it was somebody else’s turn to smile.

“I’m coming out of my skin right now I’m so excited,” said Kim, who was 2-1-1 and clearly set the tone for the pressure-soaked last day with the way he handled Garcia. “We’re feeling pretty proud of ourselves.”

Paul Azinger, the U.S. captain, led the celebratory parade in his red golf cart, speeding down the fairway past fans holding large American flags as they pressed against the gallery rope.

The players quickly joined the act around the clubhouse. Weekley removed his cap and bowed. Jim Furyk fought back tears of joy. J.B. Holmes raised his arms to encourage fans to raise the roof. Phil Mickelson grinned, as usual. Hunter Mahan and Kenny Perry waved American flags from the clubhouse veranda.

Then the champagne came out and its spray filled the air. Azinger emptied the contents of one bottle on Weekley’s head.

On the raucous scale, this one bordered on subdued, but it was surely satisfying nonetheless. The last U.S. victory was in 1999 at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass., and maybe because it was so long ago, the U.S. roused itself, came up with a boisterous performance and won by its largest margin since 1981.

“We stuck to a message,” Azinger said. “What’s important now. We stayed on message, and I wanted them just to play, and I told every player that they were on a free roll this week because they weren’t expected [to win] that much.”

Kim was one of six Ryder Cup rookies for Azinger, who tweaked the rules set by the PGA of America to focus more qualifying points on this year’s play and also doubled his captain’s picks from two to four.

The rookies -- Kim, Mahan, Weekley, Holmes, Ben Curtis and Steve Stricker -- were a combined 9-4-8.

Holmes’ 2-and-1 comeback victory over Soren Hansen set up Furyk’s door-slamming moment.

Holmes, a long-hitting 26-year-old from nearby Campbellsville, Ky., birdied his last two holes, acts that included a breathtaking drive at the 511-yard 16th, when the ball sailed far left but bounced through trees, across a cart path and back out to the light rough of the fairway, leaving him only a wedge to the green.

“I’m still flying,” Holmes said. “I think I’m higher now than when I was out on the golf course.”

There were some trying moments for the U.S., but that is expected on the last day of the Ryder Cup. The difference this time is that there were more good moments than bad.

Mickelson never led in his match with Justin Rose and lost, 3 and 2, and Justin Leonard had no birdies, falling to Robert Karlsson, 5 and 3. Mahan lost a one-hole lead when he drove into the water at the 18th, but managed a halve with Paul Casey.

The U.S. led only 10 1/2 -9 1/2 after Mahan’s match and no one knew it then, but it was the beginning of the end.

Kenny Perry birdied four of his first five holes, finished with seven birdies and an eagle and defeated Henrik Stenson, 3 and 2. Weekley easily handled Oliver Wilson, 4 and 2, and entertained the crowd on the first fairway when he straddled his driver and pretended to ride it like a horse.

Holmes moved the U.S. point total to 13 1/2 and Furyk sealed the deal soon afterward.

All that was left was for the last final four matches to be played out. Stewart Cink lost to Graeme McDowell and Stricker lost to Ian Poulter, but Curtis defeated Westwood and Chad Campbell defeated Harrington.

Poulter, one of the captain’s picks of Nick Faldo, won more matches than anyone and finished 4-1-0. Mahan, Holmes and Weekley did not lose a match and were a combined 6-0-5.

Then there was Mickelson, whose only victory was when he teamed with Kim in a 2-up victory over Harrington and McDowell in Friday afternoon’s four-ball competition. Mickelson wound up losing his fourth straight singles match and finished 1-2-2.

But he couldn’t have been happier.

He was clapping to the crowd as he walked to the stage for the closing ceremony, just before dusk. Mickelson was smiling broadly. And after playing on five losing Ryder Cup teams, it’s easy to understand why. Like everyone else on his team, he’s riding a winning streak now.

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thomas.bonk@latimes.com