View From The Fairway by Derek Clements
The Ryder Cup has become one of the world highest-profile sporting events. Even people with no interest in golf will be tuning in and it will receive massive media coverage.
There are concerns that this week’s contest at Bethpage Black will witness galleries cheering poor shots and booing Luke Donald’s European team. In truth I do not think there is any doubt whatsoever that we will witness some unsavoury scenes. New York sports fans are notoriously passionate, noisy and rowdy.
It also seems inevitable that there will be some controversy on the course. This just proves how much everybody involved cares about the outcome. When it is all over everybody involved will put it all to one side.
It is very much a case of us versus them. And it is only natural that the home galleries want to see their boys bring home the trophy. And let’s not pretend that European galleries are well behaved during home matches because they are not. We are not above cheering poor shots or trying to get in the heads of American golfers – just go back two years to Marco Simone and the stick the crowd gave Patrick Cantlay for refusing to wear a team cap.
This is nothing new.
Has The Ryder Cup Changed?
My first experience of the Ryder Cup was at Birkdale in 1969 when GB&I, inspired by Open champion Tony Jacklin, produced a memorable tie against a strong USA team (has there ever not been a strong USA team?).
There is a perception that back then it was a contest for gentlemen, that GB&I turned up for their usual thrashing without complaint.
The home captain was a fiery Scot called Eric Brown. He sensed that he was leading a team capable of causing an upset and he instructed his players not to help the Americans look for their golf balls. This was a big thing back then. Now, we have ball spotters all over the course. In 1969, things were very different. Brown’s team felt his instructions were not within the spirit of the game but they followed his orders.
And when Jack Nicklaus famously conceded a three-foot putt to Jacklin on the final green, his captain, Sam Snead, was furious. He had come to England to win.
The 1991 Ryder Cup
There have been many occasions when crowd behaviour has overstepped the mark. Perhaps the worst example was at Kiawah Island in 1991, a contest that became known as The War on the Shore.
At the pre-tournament gala dinner, the hosts broadcast a 15-minute video showing the history of the competition. It was so one-sided in favour of the Americans that Ken Schofield, the head of the European Tour, nearly walked out in protest.
A local radio DJ then revealed the phone numbers of the European players’ hotel rooms, encouraging listeners to call them in the early hours of the morning before the event.
On day one tensions grew between Seve Ballesteros and Paul Azinger in the opening foursomes session. Ballesteros’ partner Jose Maria Olazabal noticed that Azinger and Chip Beck had illegally changed their ball on the seventh hole, leading to a heated 15-minute discussion. Having trailed by three holes, the Spaniards rallied and claimed a 2&1 victory. It was the only point the visitors picked up in the first session as USA took a 3-1 lead.
Corey Pavin and Steve Pate played the Saturday fourballs wearing camouflaged caps in a tribute to the Gulf War. It all contributed towards working the fans into a frenzy.
Pate was involved in a car crash on the way to the tournament, but recovered sufficiently to pair up with Pavin on the Saturday. They were beaten by Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie, who was making his debut in the Ryder Cup. Europe took the afternoon session 3½-½, with Ballesteros and Olazabal claiming a half in a classic match with Payne Stewart and Fred Couples, as the teams went into the final day tied at 8-8.
Before the singles matches teed off on Sunday, the US captain Dave Stockton announced that Pate was unable to play due to his injuries from the crash. It was all highly irregular as the decision was not made until after the draw was announced and revealed he was due to face Ballesteros, then at the peak of his powers. His match was automatically halved and Europe captain Bernard Gallacher decided that David Gilford would have to sit out the day.
In the end, it all came down to Langer, who missed a short putt on the final green to hand victory to the USA.
The 1999 Ryder Cup
And then there was Brookline in 1999. The Americans, led by Ben Crenshaw, went into the singles trailing 10-6. The home side quickly bit into Europe’s lead and it all looked like it was coming down to the match between Justin Leonard and Olazabal. Leonard holed a huge putt on the 17th green and, with Olzabal still to putt, the green was invaded by American players, wives and caddies. The scenes were disgraceful and it came as no surprise when Olazabal missed his putt. The home side had completed an unlikely comeback but those scenes on the 17th green left a bad taste and were the lasting memory of what was a fabulous comeback victory.
Thankfully, things have improved since then.
I hope that this year’s Ryder Cup is remembered for all the right reasons and that Luke Donald’s European team are treated with respect. In my heart of hearts, I suspect that is not going to be the case.
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