Bush addresses the troops ... more notes

By PATRICK McMANAMON

Scripps Howard News Service

SOTOGRANDE, Spain -- Tom Kite didn't know what to tell his U.S. Ryder Cup team as it stared at a five-point deficit Saturday night.

So he called in a sub.

Former President Bush had been watching the matches, cheering for the United States and staying at the home of Jamie Ortiz-Patino, the owner of Valderrama.

Kite intercepted Bush in the clubhouse before dinner and asked him to talk to the team. He did, though Kite wouldn't say what he said.

"It wasn't important what he said," Kite said. "The important thing is he was there for us."

What did Kite tell his charges?

"I said it was not over," he said. "Our backs were against the walls, but I felt like we had the best players in the game. If we played to our potential and to our ability we had a chance to win. And they showed that."

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Kite attributed the loss to his players not knowing the course at Valderrama as well as the Europeans. He kicked himself for not being more forceful in getting his players to the course during the summer.

And he lamented the weather, which changed from bright and sunny during practice to chilly, windy and rainy during the matches.

"This course requires as much local knowledge as any I have seen, with the exception of Augusta National," Kite said. "I was hoping for the same conditions as in the practice rounds."

But with the wind and rain, the course "changed 100 percent" from practice, and "the players were tentative on the greens because the speed changed dramatically," Kite said.

LEONARD, DAVIS DISAPPOINTMENT: Justin Leonard shot a 30 in the Saturday fourballs, but lost the match when his partner Brad Faxon provided little help.

Sunday, Leonard shot a 33 on the front nine in the singles against Thomas Bjorn, but halved the match when Bjorn shot a 34 and outplayed him on the back nine.

Leonard, the British Open champion, finished with a hard-luck 0-2-2 record.

PGA champion Davis Love finished 0-4 and lost a key early singles match to Per- Ulrik Johansson.

"It was a disappointing week for all of us," Love said. "Especially for me. I didn't feel I played as well as I have in previous matches."

SO THAT'S THE SECRET: Bjorn started his match against Leonard by losing the first four holes -- with European captain Seve Ballesteros watching every hole.

"I went up to him after the third hole and said to relax," Ballesteros said. "He said, 'I am relaxed! I am relaxed!' I heard that and said, 'OK I'll let you alone from here.' "

Ballesteros returned on 18, though, just in time to see Bjorn put his tee shot in the woods.

Asked what happened, Bjorn said: "Seve came back."

CHIP SHOTS: Fred Couples and Tom Lehman charged to wins in their singles matches. Couples had six birdies in 11 holes and beat Ian Woosnam 8 & 7, Lehman had six in 12 holes and beat Ignacio Garrido 7 & 6. Couples' win is tied for the biggest singles win in Ryder Cup history. ... Leonard said his back-and-forth back nine with Bjorn aged him five years. ... Kite said the result had nothing to do with the galleries. "They were fantastic," he said. "They cheered for their side, and respected our side." ... Colin Montgomerie did not want to concede the last putt on the final hole to halve his match with Scott Hoch, but did so when Ballesteros yelled across the green: "Concede it!" That gave Europe a 14-1/2 -- 13-1/2 victory. ... Woods called the weekend "a bonding experience." ... Mark O'Meara: "I would think in 1999 the Cup will be back in the United States." ... O'Meara added that it might help U.S. golfers if a team, match-play event were held during the year.

(Pat McManamon is the national sportswriter for Scripps Howard News Service.)