SO Nick Faldo’s last great gamble didn’t come off.

He loaded the bases at the bottom end and made the contribution of men like Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell academic.

But while we lament the loss of the Ryder Cup, there was much to enthuse, cheer about and take back to Celtic Manor in 2010.

Faldo may have worn a tired and thin smile on the 17th after Miguel Angel Jimenez conceded a putt to Jim Furyk and, with it, the trophy to the Americans.

He may have seen his call to hold back the heavy artillery blow up. And he may have seen the decision to send Sergio Garcia out in the talismanic Colin Montgomerie lead-off role also spiked.

But to be fair, Garcia and fellow big gun Lee Westwood failed to fire all week.

And then there was the continuing Ryder Cup failure of Padraig Harrington. The Irishman may have become the first European to win back-to-back Majors.

He may have drilled a few majestic putts on the opening Friday. But, in the end, he managed only half a point to take his record over the last three Ryder Cups to a miserable 0-9-3.

That’s right, nine defeats, no victories. His last win, in fact, was on the Sunday at the Belfry in 2002.

How could Faldo have bargained for that?

But the European captain did get a lot of things right.

None more than his controversial choice of Poulter as a captain’s pick. The guy from Milton Keynes was superb, top scorer with four points and the defiant face of this European side.

He hadn’t shot a round under 68 since January and his only top 10 finish since then had been at The Open. But he produced a performance of sustained brilliance that even the Americans took to.

Of Faldo’s four rookies, only Dane Soren Hansen failed after two losses and a half.

Justin Rose, though, was a magnificent success on his first appearance, forming with Poulter a double-act that will serve Europe for years.

That he should beat the redoubtable Phil Mickelson 3&2 in his singles was more than Faldo or anyone else could have hoped.

Similarly, Ulsterman McDowell, who went 2-1-1, rose to the occasion with spirit, resolve, glorious approach shots and the surest of touches on the green.

And give a big cheer too for Mansfield’s Oliver Wilson.

Paired with Henrik Stenson on Saturday morning, he helped turn round a four-hole deficit against Mickelson and Anthony Kim for the unlikeliest of wins at the 17th.

Yesterday it may have seemed he was blown away by Boo Weekley 4&2. And yet Wilson himself was FOUR under par. If Faldo was to admit any selection mistakes — unlikely — he might point to the wild card pick of Paul Casey.

He said he was waiting for Casey to regain his putting touch, and believed the 31-year-old US-based star had.

Casey’s position of 157th in the world putting rankings hardly suggested this.

Confirmation came out on the course where, despite a battling half on the 18th against Hunter Mahan, the European struggled over the three days.

Yet what a few days for Poulter, Rose, McDowell and Wilson.

And Sergio, surely, will be back to his best at Celtic Manor in two years. Yesterday, rather than leading from the front, Garcia guided Faldo’s Light Brigade straight into the Valley of Death.

Valhalla was the place where slain Viking warriors gathered. This time, though, it became Sergio’s burial ground — a watery grave, with the Spaniard even managing to leave two successive shots in the lake on the seventh as he was routed 5&4 by Kim.

Then, singles has never been Garcia’s strength. Almost unbeatable in foursomes and four balls, his singles record was an unimpressive one win and three losses.

In many ways, he was totally the wrong player to lead Europe off. But full credit to the USA and captain Paul Azinger.

At a time when America needed a win to make sure fans didn’t lose total faith in the tournament, Azinger got it spot on.

The riotous celebrations at the end were fully justified after three consecutive defeats.

At centre of it all was the giant figure of Florida hillbilly Weekley — or Booooooo as he is now known. As Booooooo said: “We needed this so bad — to show we still have a game.”

Then he announced he was off for ‘a few cocktails’.

He should resurface sometime over the weekend.

But the final word goes to young Kim, the 23-year-old who started the carnage.

His red shirt, Oriental looks and ability to grind an opponent into the ground were reminiscent of someone else.

No wonder he has been lumbered with the tag of the new Tiger.

“I got chills up my spine all day,” he said.

“This will remain with me all my career. I wouldn’t trade it for $10million.”

Tiger Who?