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Ryder Cup Golf

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Despite the camaraderie shown during the Ryder Cup Golf tournament there have been a couple of years in Ryder Cup history that haven’t been quite nice. One example of this would be the 1969 Ryder Cup Golf tournament.

The 1969 Ryder Cup Golf tournament was held at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, in Southport, England. Sam Snead and Eric Brown were captains of the US Ryder Cup and Great Britain Ryder Cup teams respectively. This Ryder Cup Golf tournament was the best and most competitive Ryder Cup contest (play-wise, up until that year’s Ryder Cup Golf tournament, 18 of 32 Ryder Cup Golf tournament matches went to the last green). Golf’s and one of the Ryder Cup Golf tournament’s memorable moment of sportsman ship involved Jack Nicklaus, who was playing in his first Ryder Cup Golf tournament, and Tony Jacklin. Nicklaus conceded a two-footer to Jacklin after sinking a four-footer for par on the last green. The result for this Ryder Cup Golf tournament was the first tie in Ryder Cup history. The US Ryder Cup team kept the Ryder Cup trophy, but US Ryder Cup team captain Sam Snead and the rest of Nicklaus’ teammates were less than pleased.

The next controversial year in Ryder Cup Golf tournament history was 1991. A feud that began at the 1989 Ryder Cup Golf tournament between Seve Ballesteros and Paul Azinger, due to accusations of cheating, was raised to another level in 1991. Insinuating comments from Ballesteros and Azinger about the “cheating” incident fueled the Ryder Cup Golf tournament players with the desire to win, along with their partners Jose` Maria Olazabal and Chris Beck, respectively. This group produced one of the best pairs’ matches in Ryder Cup Golf tournament history, with the Spaniards winning 2 to 1.

1999 marked another day in controversy for the Ryder Cup Golf tournament, held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. That year’s Ryder Cup Golf tournament featured a great comeback by the US Ryder Cup team, 14 ½ to the England Ryder Cup team’s 13 ½. After trailing 10-6 heading into the final Ryder Cup Golf tournament day, the US Ryder Cup team went 8-3-1 in singles matches to seal the first US Ryder Cup victory since 1993. The Ryder Cup Golf tournament competition turned on the 17th hole of the match between American Justin Leonard and Spaniard Jose` Maria Olazabal. Leonard needed half a point by either winning one of the last two holes (earning a full point) or finishing the Ryder Cup Golf tournament match at all square (earning half a point) to seal an American Ryder Cup Golf tournament victory.

After Olazabal’s second shot, Leonard hit his shot within ten feet of the hole and was left with a 45 foot putt for birdie. Leonard made the shot, and wild celebration followed with the US Ryder Cup team, wives, and fans running onto the green. Olazabal tried to regain focus, knowing a made putt would extend the Ryder Cup Golf tournament and a miss would give Leonard a half point and a US Ryder Cup victory. Olazabal missed the putt, and this time, the American celebration was not as jubilant. The European players believed that the American celebration at the end of the Ryder Cup Golf tournament ignored some unwritten rules and codes of conduct. In many circles, the game of golf is considered as “the gentlemen’s game”.

 Many American players at the Ryder Cup Golf tournament believed that the European team’s response was duplicitous, as Seve Ballesteros had been guilty of excessive celebration and gamesmanship as far back as the 1985 Ryder Cup Golf tournament match, without opposition from the European media.

Following the 1999 Ryder Cup Golf tournament, some of the members of the US Ryder Cup team apologized for their behavior and both teams from the Ryder Cup Golf tournament made a huge effort to dispel the nationalism of the Ryder Cup Golf tournament. The Ryder Cup Golf tournament is now being played in the “spirit of the game”.