Thirty years of hurt: when USA last won the Ryder Cup in Europe
Welcome in 1993. Take That collaborates with Lulu. There are four terrestrial TV channels in Britain. England are preparing for a crucial World Cup qualifier in the Netherlands. The internet is still something of the future. Five players who will represent the US in the 2023 Ryder Cup have not yet been born. And Prince Andrew will award the Ryder Cup to the winning captain.
When Tom Watson lifted the Ryder Cup at the Belfry on September 26, 1993, there was a good chance that the American team would have to wait at least thirty years before they could triumph again on European soil. But since that Sunday in the Midlands, six American captains – including Watson again in 2014 – have tried and failed to bring the trophy back across the Atlantic. Thirty years of pain.
At the time, it felt like the beginning of an era of American dominance. Their profound strength, coupled with the apparent lack of successors to Europe’s aging stars, painted a worrying picture for the future. Yet history tells us a different story. America’s victory in 1993 remains the last time they retained the Cup.
The structure
The US arrived in England as champions and favourites. Seven of their team had won majors – Paul Azinger, Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Lee Janzen, Payne Stewart and captains Ray Floyd and Lanny Wadkins – and Corey Pavin would join this group two years later. Priced at 10/11, with the scores tied in Europe, Watson’s team looked likely to win their first Ryder Cup in Europe since 1981.
Bernard Gallacher, who had played eight times in the Ryder Cup and was already on the wrong side of an embarrassing one-point defeat as captain in 1991, was concerned about form, fitness and partnerships. Seve Ballesteros remained without a win on the European tour all season and José María Olazábal struggled with his game. Both Spaniards were the captains, alongside 24-year-old Joakim Haeggman, who became the first Swede to play in the Ryder Cup. Peter Baker, Barry Lane and Constantino Rocca also made their debuts, with Janzen, Davis Love III, Jim Gallagher Jnr and John Cook the four rookies on the US team. The pressure was almost suffocating and some of them were overwhelmed by the tension.
Much of the conversation leading up to the event focused on the events of 1991. “I hope we don’t get any more of that ‘War by the Shore’ stuff we had last time at Kiawah,” Ian Woosnam said. “A lot of nonsense, yes. The Americans got so excited that they were going to win any way they could, and that’s not in the spirit of the game.
Watson tried to calm things down. “I want the event, the Ryder Cup, to win,” he said when asked about American behavior on Kiawah Island. “For that to happen, everyone must understand that the spirit of the game is to do what is fair, rather than what is necessary to win.”
Ironically, Watson then caused a stir at the gala dinner by refusing to sign a menu for Sam Torrance, telling him, “Sorry Sam, if we sign yours, we’ll have to sign everyone else’s.” The British press seized on the alleged criticism. Torrance was embarrassed and furious, but Gallacher did his best to smooth over the incident.
Fortunately, the talking finally stopped and the 30th Ryder Cup began, although a 2.5 hour delay due to fog proved frustrating for the fans on course, those watching for the last time on the BBC and the American viewers watching saw the event live on European soil. for the first time on NBC.
Friday: Europe takes an early lead
Finally, Pavin hit the first shot in the foursome. “I couldn’t get the tee into the ground,” he said later, admitting he got nervous. “And it was difficult to get the ball on the tee.” Fortunately for Pavin and his partner Wadkins, they had to compete against out-of-form Mark James and Torrance. Torrance was returning from injury after crashing into a plant pot while sleepwalking at the Belfry during the English Open.
Europe fought back, with the Colin Montgomerie-Faldo partnership and the Bernhard Langer-Woosnam duo winning easily in the morning celebrations. The only surprise was the defeat for Ballesteros and Olazábal against Kite and Love III.
The scores were level at 2-2 when the fourballs started and Peter Baker’s feel-good story began, with the Shropshire-born 25-year-old teaming up brilliantly with his boyhood hero Woosnam. He sank putt after putt and it was fitting that a 30-foot birdie on the last secured the win for the pair against Gallagher Jnr and Janzen. “I was a spectator this afternoon,” Woosnam joked. “I just went for a walk there.”
Pavin and Wadkins won their second match of the day for the US, beating Langer and Lane, but Ballesteros and Olazabal got their revenge over Kite and Love III, giving Europe a 4–3 lead at the end of the day.
Saturday: USA fights back in fourball
One match remained unfinished due to the delayed start. The Faldo-Montgomerie match against Azinger and Couples was a classic, with Faldo and Azinger in particular performing excellently. All square on the 17th, as darkness fell, the four played the final hole early on Saturday, Faldo’s beautiful par putt secure a half to maintain Europe’s lead.
At the end of Saturday morning’s foursome, it looked like Europe had taken a decisive step towards regaining the trophy. Lane and Baker had lost to Floyd and Stewart, but wins for Faldo-Montgomerie, Langer-Woosnam and Ballesteros-Olazábal put Europe 7½-4½ ahead.
But there was trouble ahead for the European skipper. With the four-ball combinations due to be announced around midday, Ballesteros told his captain he wanted to withdraw from the session. To add to Gallacher’s problems, Langer said he also had to rest as the track was taking too long for him. “Maybe other captains would have pushed them on the course and gotten the results, but I decided the players knew best,” Gallacher said. They were both excellent in singles on Sunday, but the captain must have regretted their absence on Saturday afternoon.
Momentum is essential in sports. “We lost those four balls 3-1 and also the psychological advantage,” Ballesteros said as he apologized to the European fans in the autopsy. Woosnam and Baker won again, but Cook and Chip Beck stunned Faldo and Montgomerie; Rocca and James were hammered by Pavin and Gallagher Jnr; and Haeggman and Olazabal lost to Floyd and Stewart.
Europe still led 8½-7½, but Gallacher had hoped for a bigger buffer before the final day. “We could have gone for the win in the first six games instead of thinking tactically about finishing last.” Gallacher was already frustrated at having his plans thwarted and now faced two more problems.
Baker’s participation appeared in doubt when he was rushed to hospital after his 11-month-old daughter fell ill. Fortunately, she recovered and the American team was kind enough to send Baker a telegram of support. A tired and relieved Baker declared himself ready for the singles. Unfortunately, Torrance had to retire injured.
Torrance was ruled out with a septic toe, leaving Watson with two grim tasks: confirm the injury as soon as the European took off his sock and then ask one of his players to sit out the singles. Wadkins immediately volunteered. “I thought it was unfair that one of the other 10 players who had qualified for the team withdrew,” he said. Watson told the remaining players to think of Wadkins and his sacrifice when they were on the court.
Sunday: USA turns it around and wins the cup
With half a point awarded to each of the withdrawn players, Europe needed 5½ points to regain the trophy. Sometimes the situation looked rosy. Woosnam halved an excellent game with Couples. Montgomerie, Baker and Haeggman all won their matches on the 18th against Janzen, Pavin and Cook respectively. With Lane and Rocca also in strong positions, it all looked good for Gallacher.
Unfortunately, there are always stories of misery on Ryder Cup Sundays. Lane lost to Beck on the last after being three up with five to play. Rocca led on the 17th, but a three putt on the penultimate green alarm bells sounded. A last-place bogey gave Love III the crucial victory. The Americans celebrated; Rocca broke down. “I cried in the dressing room with Seve, but he cried more than me,” said the distraught player.
The tide turned against Europe. Ballesteros lost to Gallagher Jnr; Langer was defeated 5&3 by Kite; Olazabal was defeated by 51-year-old Floyd; James completed a bad weekend by losing to Stewart; Faldo made a hole-in-one on the 14th but only halved his match with Azinger.
America took 5½ points on the final day and won 15-13. It was a tough day for Gallacher, whose time as captain seemed to be over. “Gallacher ultimately lacked the instinctive approach, the flair for people management that Tony Jacklin brought to his work,” wrote David Davies in the Guardian. With many fans and pundits criticizing his decision to rest Ballesteros and Langer, thoughts turned to who would be Europe’s next skipper. Yet, despite the criticism, Gallacher was a popular leader with his players. He was persuaded to stay on and eventually lifted the trophy as captain in 1995, when his team came back from 9-7 down to stun the hosts.
USA are favorites again this year in Rome. But since Watson took the trophy back across the Atlantic in 1993, the Americans have won the Ryder Cup just four times, all on home soil. Trips to Spain, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and France have proven fruitless. Luke Donald hopes Italy can be added to that list.