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When you win the Ryder Cup, the champagne flows ... as the Americans found out Sunday after beating the Europeans at Valhalla.(Greenwood/Getty Images)

REPORT CARDS (8:45 p.m. ET): So how did each player grade out after a week full of drama -- and top-notch play -- at Valhalla? Here you go (and yes, the grades are purely subjective. Feel free to disagree):

AZINGER IN 2010? (6:25 p.m. ET): Not since Jack Nicklaus in 1987 has a U.S. Captain served for a second time at a Ryder Cup. But perhaps Paul Azinger should remain the Captain for two more years, as the Ryder Cup moves to Wales in 2010.

Azinger

After all, his changes in the way the team was selected -- four Captain's picks, more emphasis on winning tournaments and recent performance -- certainly panned out. He kept the U.S. team loose (it helped to have Boo Weekley, of course) and he reclaimed the Cup for the U.S. despite not having the world's best player on his team (although Tiger Woods did text-message him multiple times).

"I think 'Zinger has been an awesome captain," Phil Mickelson said. "It's all been fun and I've always enjoyed playing practice rounds with him and hanging with him because of his personality.

"He has a lot of enegy and he's funny. He rips on us and builds us up. He's been very enjoyable to be around this week."

Another thing that Azinger did was make sure the crowd was loud and supportive at Valhalla. He cranked up the volume even before play began with a Wednesday night pep rally in which he told the crowd it was OK to cheer missed putts, a statement he later had to clear up. He asked the fans to wear blue on Saturday, red on Sunday.

And as he rode in his cart, he continually engaged the crowd, even standing up in his cart on occasion like a general parading in front of his troops before battle.

"We created the 13th Man and I'm real proud of these people," Azinger said. "They made a big difference and kept our guys energized and our guys bought into the concept and they bonded. We just went out there with a one-shot-at-a-time mission and we did it."

It didn't take long for his players to push for Azinger in 2010. Phil Mickelson already has started the "Zinger in '10" campaign.

But Azinger may not want another two years. After all, it's an investment of time and emotion that can be taxing.

Still, if you win, the rewards are great.

So in case he does, let's ask again -- why not Azinger in 2010?

COLLECTIVE EFFORTS (6:20 p.m. ET): How about the Ryder Cup rookies perform? Or the Captain's picks? Here's a wide array of groupings and their collective efforts:

SORRY, 18TH HOLERS (6:15 p.m. ET): Twelve matches were played on Sunday ... and only one made it to the 18th hole (the Hunter Mahan-Paul Casey halved match).

If you happened to set up shop at the 18th hole on Sunday, hoping to catch the possible drama there ... well, you were out of luck.

FINAL SCORE: 16-1/2 to 11-1/2 (6:11 p.m. ET): The last match is over, with Chad Campbell knocking off the world's 4th-ranked player Padraig Harrington 2 & 1. That seals the five-point win for the Americans, their largest margin of victory since winning by nine points in 1981.

Here are the American wins since the inclusion of continental Europe in the Ryder Cup in 1979:

MORE FROM FALDO (5:45 p.m. ET): The Europeans needed just a half-point out of the middle portion of their lineup to extend the Ryder Cup to the back-loaded lineup. Instead, they got zero.

Henrik Stenson, Oliver Wilson, Soren Hansen and Miguel Angel Jimenez each lost their Singles match Sunday. That means the matches with Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington have no impact.

"We just missed it by the one match," European Captain Nick Faldo said. "We had a plan that if we could just get to the last four guys ... well, look where it is."

PERRY ON HIS PUTTING (5:37 p.m. ET): Kenny Perry birdied four of the first five holes and then eagled the seventh hole, setting the table for his 3 & 2 win over Henrik Stenson. Perry credited his "magical day" Sunday to his putting stroke.

"I had the putting touch of Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus," Perry said. "I was in a zone. I had such a calm and coolness about me, and the fans here are just unbelievable.

"You know, I keep telling everybody, this is kind of my swan song, and what a way to go out."

Hopefully, he doesn't go out too soon. Perry is in the 30-man field for THE TOUR Championship next week.

U.S. CLINCHES CUP (5:19 p.m. ET): After missing his birdie putt, Miguel Angel Jimenez conceded the par putt to Jim Furyk, resulting in a 2 & 1 win for Furyk and the clinching point for the Americans.

Four matches remain, but the U.S. has the necessary 14-1/2 points for the victory.

The Ryder Cup is back on American soil for the first time since 1999.

"I poured my heart and soul into this for two years and the players poured their heart and soul into it for one week," U.S. Captain Paul Azinger said. "I couldn't be happier."

Said European Captain Nick Faldo: "We came up short, but not in pride and spirit."

ONE POINT AWAY (5:08 p.m. ET): J.B. Holmes just closed out his match with Soren Hansen, winning 2 & 1. That leaves the Americans just one point away from winning the Ryder Cup. If Jim Furyk halves the 17th hole with Miguel Angel Jimenez, he'll win his match and seal the American victory.

MIDDLE GUYS (4:58 p.m. ET): Despite front-loading his lineup, U.S. Captain Paul Azinger didn't exactly get a lot of production from the early portion of his lineup.

Sure, Anthony Kim set the tone with his win over Sergio Garcia, but of the first four matches, Europe won 2-1/2 of a possible 4 points.

But the middle portion of the American lineup is playing light's out. Kenny Perry and Boo Weekley won their matches, and J.B. Holmes and Jim Furyk are in control of theirs.

As a result, the back-loading done by European Captain Nick Faldo may not matter. The Americans are just two points away from claiming the Cup.

BOO'S FOCUS: (4:51 p.m.) Boo Weekley began his Singles match by galloping down the first fairway, riding his driver, and he ended by making a 20-footer for birdie and ceremoniously bowing to the Kentucky crowd.

His wife, Karyn, rushed onto the green. He leaned over to hug her and said, "We've got to pull the rest of them through."

PERRY CLOSES IN STYLE: (4:34 p.m.) Kenny Perry's dream week ended with a 3 & 2 victory over Sweden's Henrik Stenson.

The home crowd was chanting his name and Perry's family, including his father in his trademark overalls and red shirt, was there to share the moment with him. The Kentucky native went 2-1-1 and contributed 2 1/2 points to the U.S. cause.

"I said this was going to define my career, but this made my career," Perry said. "This is a week I'll never forget. It's the greatest experience of my life."

SHADES OF BROOKLINE: (4:13 p.m.) Hunter Mahan assured the U.S. of at least a half point when he rolled in a 50-footer for birdie at the 17th hole that would have made Justin Leonard proud.

When the ball dropped into the hole, Mahan erupted with a Tiger-esque celebration that included five fist pumps as he scooted across the green.

When the excitement died down, Paul Casey was unable to make his 20-footer to halve and Mahan went to the 18th tee 1 up. The jolt of adrenaline, though, may have been costly. Mahan hit his drive right into the pond while the Englishman found the fairway.

Stay tuned.

HUGE POINT FROM KIM: (3:50 p.m.) Anthony Kim may have picked up the first point of the afternoon, but the momentum appears to have shifted slightly.

The U.S. now leads in just four matches and is all square in a fifth. Coupled with Kim's point, that's enough to win the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999.

Europe, at the same time, now leads in six matches -- but needs seven points to retain the Cup.

PLAYING IN PAIN: (3:47 p.m.) There's no denying that Kenny Perry has loads of heart. Despite intense shoulder pain -- he began showing signs that he was hurting on the 10th hole of the Sunday Singles matches -- Perry continued to play against Henrik Stenson.

After stopping to meet with physiotherapists on the 11th hole, the 48-year-old Perry took some pain killers and carried on. No doubt the Kentucky crowd was grateful that one of their own displayed grit in fighting through the pain. Plus, his 2-up lead through 12 holes gave them something to cheer about.

WORST LOSS (3:30 p.m.): The 5 & 4 loss that Sergio Garcia suffered to Anthony Kim on Sunday is the Spaniard's worst loss in his Ryder Cup career. Here are Garcia's Ryder Cup losses, ranked by most decisive loss:

MATCH TWO IS A TIGHT RACE (3:28 p.m.): The Mahan-Casey match has been a barn-burner, and it got even hotter on the par-3 14th. Mahan, who had just gone 1-up on the previous hole when Casey 3-putted, hit his tee shot just past the hole and watched as the slope behind the hole brought the ball back within 2 feet of the cup. Casey, who had a hole-in-one in the 2006 matches playing foursomes with David Howell, then used a different part of the slope with similar results, getting his ball just inside Mahan's. They conceded the putts to halve the hole.

ONE DOWN, 11 TO GO (3:25 p.m.): Anthony Kim draws first blood -- but he didn't know it.

Sergio Garcia missed a birdie putt that would have given him the win in a match that had gone dormie at the 15th hole. Then Kim proceeded to roll in a 10-footer to save par from the bunker -- and promptly headed for the next tee, totally unaware he had just won the first point for Team USA.

Suddenly, he realized what had happened. Kim turned around and ran back on the green. He hugged his caddie and shook hands with Garcia and vice captain Jose Maria Olazabal, then went over to U.S. skipper Paul Azinger who wrapped him in a bear hug and ruffled his hair.

"I wouldn't trade this for $10 million," Kim said.

BOOOOOOOOOO (2:53 p.m.): Boo Weekley is on a roll with four birdies and a hole-out eagle in his first eight holes to take a 3-up lead on Oliver Wilson. The eagle was simply amazing, having reached the greenside bunker right of the putting surface in two. He splashed out with a shot that looked too low and moving too fast, but it was right on line and rattled in. Weekley ran up the bank of the bunker and onto the green with his arms raised. The fans went absolutely bonkers.

Faldo

A NICE COLD ONE (2:22 p.m.): As Padraig Harrington and Chad Campbell marched down the fairway after hitting their drives in the final singles match, European captain Nick Faldo jumped in his golf cart and drove up to the tee box in front of a large contingent of European fans. He then pulled a bag out of the back of the cart, and stood on the seat.

He proceeded to pull cans of beer out of the bag and toss them up to the fans. "It was the full case," Faldo said with a smile. "They earned it. They've been fantastic all week." Faldo was then getting ready to head out on the golf course, but not before thinking about his own beverage needs. "I think I need a quaff -- a quaff and a doughnut and then it's back out."

STRONG START FOR RED, WHITE AND BLUE (2:18 p.m.): Team USA started Sunday's Singles with a two-stroke advantage -- needing 5 1/2 points to win the Ryder Cup.

As Padraig Harrington and Chad Campbell teed off in the day's finale, the Americans were in great shape. Team USA led in eight matches, and the Europeans were ahead in three.

Anthony Kim was 3 up through nine holes with Europe's leader, Sergio Garcia, while Robert Karlsson led Justin Leonard by the same margin for the Europeans after eight holes. No one else was more than 2 up, though, and there is a lot of golf left to play.

Holmes

SAVING THE BIG GUNS FOR SUNDAY (2:07 p.m.): A lot of the pre-tournament talk surrounded the big-hitting J.B. Holmes and whether he would drive the green at the 352-yard, par-4 13th hole in competition as he did on Tuesday during the practice round.

Holmes hasn't done it yet. But on Sunday he did hit his drive on the 375-yard fourth hole -- called "Short n'Sweet" -- into the rough beside the green. He chipped on and made birdie to halve the hole with Soren Hansen. So we'll see what happens on No. 13.

KIM TAKING CONTROL (1:45 p.m.): The news gets worse for Garcia at the seventh hole. Not only did he put one ball in the water to the left side green on the 601-yard par 5, the Spaniard inexplicably put a second one there. He conceded the hole to Kim at that point, and the young American walked triumphantly down the fairway, confident, 3 up and waving his ams to encourage the fans to cheer.

A LITTLE BIT OF COMPETITIVE SPIRIT (1:35 p.m.): The sixth hole, a 500-yarder aptly named "The Bear," is the fourth longest par 4 in Ryder Cup history. Sergio Garcia won't soon forget it after hitting his drive into some heavy grass on the deep bank near the creek that bisects the fairway.

Kim

First, Garcia, with the assistance of vice captain Jose Maria Olazabal, had to find and identify the ball. Then he asked Rules Official John Parmour for relief because his left foot would be touching some nearby stone steps if he hit it back into the fairway.

At this point, Anthony Kim, who had already hit his second shot onto the green about 60 feet away, became involved in the discussion. He came over and talked with both Garcia and Parmour, then finally walked away, saying "Do what you've got to do."

Paramour confirmed that Garcia had interference with his stance and that the ball was unplayable. Garcia went back into the fairway and took his drop, then hit his third shot onto the green about 20 feet from the pin for what would be an amazing save. Kim left his birdie attempt about 5 feet short while Garcia missed his par effort. He went ahead and made the bogey putt before Kim attempted his par save.

Kim's ball found the middle of the hole, and he raised both arms into the air to salute the crowd as he went 2 up on Europe's Mr. Ryder Cup.

ONLY FROM BOO (1:12 p.m.): This one will make the highlight reels. Crowd favorite Boo Weekley hit his opening tee shot and then galloped down the fairway -- riding his driver like one of the Kentucky thoroughbreds. The Boo-S-A cheers weren't far behind.

Perry

PERRY ENJOYS HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE (1:09 p.m.): As expected, the crowd was behind Kenny Perry, and the 48-year-old Kentuckian didn't disappoint. He whipped the crowd into a frenzy when he made a 12-footer for birdie, but his opponent Henrik Stenson, manned up to the challenge -- rolling in an 8-footer on top of him. This match could be a key one.

GREAT START FOR KIM (12:30 p.m. ET): Anthony Kim birdied the first two holes, thanks to two great approach shots, and is now 1 up over Sergio Garcia. Kim is a fiery, confident guy, a great pick to lead things off for the Americans.

AND THEY'RE OFF (12:05 p.m. ET): The first match of the day has started, with Anthony Kim taking on Sergio Garcia. The weather is excellent and no precipitation is expected. Should be a great day for golf.

SINGLES RESULTS (Noon ET): Here are the Singles points totals since 1979. The U.S. needs 5-1/2 points to win the Ryder Cup on Sunday; the Americans haven't won that many points in any of the last three Ryder Cups: