GAINESVILLE, Va. - In the mayhem of hugs, cheers, chants and fist-pumps that followed his winning putt on the 18th green, Chris DiMarco found four words that summed up the growing stature and passion surrounding the Presidents Cup.

"We needed this cup," he said.

Not wanted. Needed.

The Americans have won only one of the last five Ryder Cups. They had won only one of the last three Presidents Cups. They had not won either competition in five years. After a while, pride sets in, even in an event that's only been around since 1994.

That explains Tiger Woods and David Toms rushing to bear-hug DiMarco, and the chants of "U-S-A!" and "M-V-P!" from the gallery following DiMarco's 15-foot birdie putt Sunday that ended his match against Stuart Appleby and gave the Americans the deciding point in an 18½-15½ victory over the International team.

"I think that we're the only ones that know that we care more about this than anything," DiMarco said. "And unfortunately everybody thinks the Americans don't care. Well, I can promise you that's not true at all. We care a lot, and this is big. We wanted this bad."

They also wanted to win for Jack Nicklaus, team captain for the third and probably final time. Nicklaus already said farewell to the majors this year during the British Open. The feelings for Nicklaus overflowed at an emotional team dinner Saturday night.

"It feels a lot better to have a win, there's no question about that," said Nicklaus, whose team lost badly in Australia in 1998 and tied in South Africa two years ago. "As far as being something special, I may never captain another team, I may never play another round of golf, and if I end my career this way, it's a pretty good way to end it."

Even so, Nicklaus cited the importance of his players ending their own winless streak, more so than his.

"I don't know why in the world they want to care about winning one for an old man," said the 65-year-old Nicklaus. "They need to win one for themselves. I mean, American golf has not won in international competition for a few years."

The Presidents Cup itself got a boost by a thrilling finish on U.S. soil, with Americans making three clutch birdies at the 18th and producing moments that will be replayed many times over.

Fred Couples, soon to turn 46, holed a 20-foot putt to beat Vijay Singh, a flashback to Couples' 35-foot birdie putt that beat Singh and clinched the Presidents Cup for the U.S. team in 1996.

"I figure if I beat him, there might be a small golden rainbow out there," Couples said. "And I did."

Soon afterward, Phil Mickelson made a 4-footer to square his match with Angel Cabrera. Mickelson thought the match was over, but a rule implemented this year said that every match had to go extra holes until one team had enough points to claim the cup. The look on Mickelson's stunned face was priceless when he was told by European tour rules official Andy McFee that the match was headed to a playoff.

"I thought that we had won," Mickelson said, "because I'm an idiot and didn't read the rules of the game."

Mickelson went to the first hole for the playoff, but he didn't have to finish it because DiMarco came along to the 18th and settled the competition for good.

Playing from the right rough, with his feet in a bunker, DiMarco managed a clean approach that settled 15 feet from the cup. With teammates and Nicklaus settled nervously around the green, DiMarco then had to make one of the biggest putts of his career.

"Every piece of my body was shaking," DiMarco said. "My caddie says before I hit the putt, 'This is the moment you've waited for your whole life, so go ahead and do it.' And you know, I did."

DiMarco knew it was good as the ball was still a few feet from the hole. He charged toward the cup, and then into the arms of Nicklaus as the players hugged everyone they could find. DiMarco went 4-0-1 for the week.

"For Chris to win it was so fitting this week," Mickelson said. "It's a memory that we'll have a lifetime, and we'll never forget."

The Americans won without a Sunday victory from Woods, who had been 3-0 in Presidents Cup singles before losing to Retief Goosen. Davis Love III, Jim Furyk, Justin Leonard, Kenny Perry and Toms won their matches, with Perry and Toms getting their first points of the week.

It was another tough loss for the Internationals, who battled the Americans to a tie in team matches over the first three days and fought back from early deficits throughout the 12 singles matches. The International team has yet to win the cup in four tries at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

"Jack and I, we stood on the first tee today," International captain Gary Player said. "We both sincerely said, 'Gee, I'd like to win, you'd like to win. But if we could have this go down to the last two matches - close, just real close - we'll both be very happy.'"

It was that kind of spirit that left the Americans comparing the Presidents Cup favorably with the more contentious Ryder Cup, if not stating an outright preference for the former.

"I like that there's a genuine respect for both teams," DiMarco said, "and it's more about the game of golf and not necessarily somebody being ugly and somebody not being ugly."

Of course, it also helps they finally got a win.