1999 Ryder Cup
The 33rd Ryder Cup Matches, also known as the "Battle of Brookline", were a golf competition held September 24–26, 1999, in the United States at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, a suburb southwest of Boston.
The American team won the competition by a margin of 14½ to 13½, The Europeans, leading 10–6 heading into the final round, needed only 4 points on the final day to retain the cup. The Americans rallied on the Sunday, winning the first 6 matches of the day to surge into the lead. Further wins by Steve Pate and Jim Furyk took them into a 14–12 lead. The Americans recaptured the Ryder Cup when Justin Leonard halved his match with José María Olazábal. With the match all-square Leonard holed a 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole. After controversial premature celebrations on the green, Olazabal then missed his 22-foot birdie putt to leave Leonard one up with just one hole to play, assuring him of a half point and guaranteeing an American victory.
The behavior of both U.S. spectators and the U.S. team was criticized by both American and European media. U.S. spectators raucously heckled and abused European players. Allegations were also made regarding cheating on the part of course marshals. Notoriously, the U.S. team raucously invaded the 17th green after Leonard had holed his long putt but before Olazábal had attempted his shorter putt. The incident was viewed by many as appalling sportsmanship, and an unpleasant ending to a Ryder Cup many in both the US and Europe felt was not played in the spirit that Samuel Ryder had intended. Veteran broadcaster Alistair Cooke described the last day of the tournament as "a date that will live in infamy" in a Letter from America entitled "The arrival of the golf hooligan".
At the time, the American win was the largest final day come-from-behind victory in Ryder Cup history, Europe achieved the same feat in 2012. It is still widely regarded as one of the most impressive come-from-behind victories in recent sports history.
This was one of the last public appearances of Payne Stewart, who died in a plane crash less than a month later.
Pre-match tensions and aftermath
Members of the U.S. team spoke out in press conferences in what appeared to be a blatant attempt to bait certain members of the European team into a confrontational response. Jeff Maggert being one of the worst offenders when lavishly and outspokenly said "lets face it, we've got the worlds' 12 best players". Colin Montgomerie was one of the first to respond detailing "You want someone to bite?, well I'm not going to!" Payne Stewart also claimed by the strength of the European team, they should be caddying for the U.S. team not playing against them.The bad atmosphere continued into the week with the American fans heckling and abusing the European players. Colin Montgomerie's father left the course due to the amount of abuse that his son was receiving, and a fan spat at Mark James's wife. Montgomerie in particular came in for abuse: throughout his Sunday singles game with Payne Stewart when fans heckled him, Stewart would get marshals to eject them. On reaching the 18th green, as the last match, Stewart having played three – conceded the final match to Montgomerie who had only taken two. This echoed Montgomerie’s sportsmanship at the previous Ryder Cup when he shared his match with an embattled Scott Hoch. Allegations of cheating were also levelled at a course marshall, who allegedly concealed Andrew Coltart's lost ball until five minutes had elapsed, and he had been given a one stroke penalty.
Analysis of the event in its aftermath concluded that the U.S. team and their fans' behavior throughout the matches had been unacceptable which led to apologies from many of the American players. Many American journalists conceded that the matches had become so intense to the point that they were no longer being played in the spirit that Samuel Ryder had intended. The American press were unusually critical of their side: The Washington Post stated that "It seems an American team can't get through an international competition without acting like jackasses at some point" and the Los Angeles Times described the American team as having "violated every principle of proper golf decorum and decent manners."
17th green incident
In the Sunday singles, Justin Leonard, playing José María Olazábal in the ninth match of the order, arrived at the green all-square with at that point the U.S. team having 14 points and only requiring Leonard's point or half a point to make the remarkable comeback complete. Putting first from over 40 feet from the hole, he sank the putt meaning if Olazábal did not hole his putt of roughly 25 feet then USA would be guaranteed victory as Leonard would be 1 up with one hole to play thus gaining at least half a point. When Leonard's putt went in, members of the U.S. team, their wives, caddies and some marshalls ran onto the green to congratulate him – seemingly ignorant to the fact should Olazábal hole his putt then the match would not be over and Europe could still retain the Cup.This incident was met with extreme criticism from the worlds' watching media accusing the Americans of bad sportsmanship. Many of the European players were also extremely critical of their actions including, in a heated interview on the green after the event, Sam Torrance, European vice-captain. Despite being very magnanimous in defeat, he stated that many of the: players, caddies, wives, marshals and cameramen that had run onto the green, had done so over the putting line of Olazábal. He further singled out Tom Lehman's behavior on the final day as "disgusting" for someone who "calls himself a man of God". Lehman, who was confronted with Torrance's comments by Andrew Castle admitted the U.S. team had been more than over-exuberant on the final day of the competition and semi-apologized only by referencing European celebrations at previous events.
The course
, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest country clubs in the United States. It was one of the five charter clubs which founded the United States Golf Association, and has hosted numerous USGA tournaments including the U.S. Open in 1913, won by then-unknown Francis Ouimet. The club is one of the largest of its kind in the northeastern U.S., with about 1300 members.Television
The 33rd Ryder Cup Matches were covered live in the United States for all five sessions. USA Network covered the Friday action, with Bill Macatee and Peter Kostis in the 18th tower. The weekend was covered live by NBC Sports, with Dick Enberg and Johnny Miller in the 18th tower, Dan Hicks calling holes, and on-course reporters Gary Koch, Mark Rolfing, Roger Maltbie, and John Schroeder. Jim Gray conducted interviews, and on the final day was also used as a fifth on-course reporter. On the weekend, former European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher was brought in as a guest analyst to provide a European perspective.In the UK, BBC and Sky Sports both had a presence, with Peter Alliss and Ewen Murray being the lead broadcaster for each with contributions from Butch Harmon, Bernard Gallagher, Peter Oosterhuis and Tony Jacklin
Format
The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. The competition format used from 1991 to 2002 was as follows:- Day 1 — 4 four-ball matches in a morning session and 4 foursome matches in an afternoon session
- Day 2 — 4 foursome matches in a morning session and 4 four-ball matches in an afternoon session
- Day 3 — 12 singles matches
Teams
Team Europe
The 1999 European Team Points Table began in September 1998, and concluded on August 22, 1999, after the BMW International Open. The top 10 players in the Points Table qualified automatically for the team. Captain Mark James then left out the number 11 player Robert Karlsson and the experienced Bernhard Langer by instead selecting Andrew Coltart and Jesper Parnevik as the two 'wild card' players to round out the team.Captains picks are shown in yellow; the world rankings and records are at the start of the 1999 Ryder Cup.
Team USA
The 1999 U.S. Ryder Cup Team was chosen on the basis of points compiled by the PGA of America, early 1998, through the 81st PGA Championship, August 12–15, 1999. Points were awarded for top-10 finishes at PGA Tour co-sponsored or sanctioned events, with added emphasis on major championships and events played during the Ryder Cup year. The top 10 finishers on the points list automatically qualified for the 12-member team, and U.S. Captain Ben Crenshaw selected the final two players—Steve Pate and Tom Lehman.Captains picks are shown in yellow; the world rankings and records are at the start of the 1999 Ryder Cup.
Friday's matches
Morning foursomes
hit the opening tee shot to begin the 33rd Ryder Cup Matches. The Americans got off to a good start when Tom Lehman chipped in at the first hole, but the matches quickly swung toward Europe's favor. With the Americans' top two pairings losing, the Europeans gained confidence, finding a dynamic duo in Jesper Parnevik and Sergio García.Afternoon four-ball
and Darren Clarke defeated Tiger Woods and David Duval, the top two players in the world rankings. Woods missed a short eagle putt at the 14th that would have squared the match, while Westwood hit a fantastic chip shot at the final hole to secure victory. Both Duval and Woods were shut out on day one.The day's best match, and arguably the best team match of the week, pitted Parnevik and García against Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk. Parnevik holed out for eagle at the par-4 eighth, putting him and García a combined 6-under-par for the match, but just 1 up. At the 13th, Furyk chipped in from near a pond to square the match, giving the American fans a chance to go into a frenzy. At the next hole, Garcia pitched in for an eagle from just the right of the green at the par 5, putting Europe back in front. At the 16th hole, with the Americans 1 down, Mickelson hit his tee shot inside of four feet from the hole. He was left with the short putt to square the match, but missed it, and the Americans continued to trail. At the final hole, Mickelson again put the ball within five feet of the hole, but again missed the putt, leaving the Americans with an agonizing 1 down loss, and keeping Parnevik and García unbeaten.
Saturday's matches
Morning foursomes
won his first match of the week, teaming with new partner Steve Pate. Woods eagled 14 while Pate hit a shot from the rough at the 18th to within 15 feet to secure the win over Pádraig Harrington and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.Jesper Parnevik and Sergio García won their third straight match, dominating the back nine to handily beat Justin Leonard and Payne Stewart.
The final match on the course pitted Jeff Maggert and Hal Sutton against Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie. Maggert took the match into his hands in the final holes, making a long birdie putt at 17 to put the Americans in front, then sealing the win by hitting his approach within 5 feet at the final hole.
Afternoon four-ball
With the Americans desperate to climb back into the contest, Captain Ben Crenshaw changed up some pairings in hope of making up at least two points. After playing with Maggert during the first three sessions, Sutton teamed with Leonard, but could only produce a half against the Spanish duo of Miguel Angel Jiménez and José María Olazábal.Woods and Pate played together again, facing Montgomerie and Lawrie. Pate chipped in for birdie at the first hole, just as Lehman had done the day before, also while playing with Woods. However, the world #1 missed key putts on the back nine and lost for the third time in four matches.
Phil Mickelson finally found his game, nearing holing out for eagle at the 10th, as he and Tom Lehman defeated Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke.
The most dramatic finish of the session came in the match pitting Davis Love III and David Duval against García and Parnevik. Love had hit a heroic approach at the 9th from a large rock formation to secure an eagle, followed by a Duval birdie at 10 to go 1 up. Parnevik then responded by pitching in for a par at the 12th to halve the hole, causing García to engage in a large display of emotion, running onto the green pumping his fists, then doing a victory lap. However, the Americans were on the verge of handing the European duo their first loss of the week, with Love and Duval still 1 up on the final hole. Both Love and García had birdie opportunities. Love's putt was to win the match, but he missed. García then holed his birdie to salvage a half point, keeping he and Parnevik undefeated for the week, and causing another wild European celebration.
Sunday's singles matches
No team had previously come back from more than two points down on the final day to win the Ryder Cup. Team Europe captain Mark James put most of the team's strength at the back of the lineup. Meanwhile, Ben Crenshaw arranged the American lineup to put most of the strength at the beginning, knowing that a fast start was needed if the Americans were going to recover from the four point deficit. This led to several early mismatches. James had not played three of his rookies during team play: Jarmo Sandelin, Jean van de Velde, and Andrew Coltart. Due to the opposite strategies, this resulted in the three rookies playing their first Ryder Cup matches against the three top American players at that time, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, and Tiger Woods.Tom Lehman and Lee Westwood, playing in the lead match, halved the first three holes. However, the Europeans seemed to pick up where they had left off when Darren Clarke chipped in at the opening hole, though Hal Sutton squared the match at the next hole and did not trail again. The matches were close in the early stages, but then Love chipped in at the 5th for a birdie, which seemed to inspire his teammates. Woods, looking much more comfortable in individual play, followed with a chip-in of his own a few minutes later at the 8th, which caused an enormous roar from the crowd that could be heard through the course. The Americans now had the lead in the first six matches. Love secured the first point of the day, winning 6 & 5 over Van de Velde, followed quickly by Lehman and Sutton. Mickelson and Sandelin previously had a history with each other, stemming from the 1996 Alfred Dunhill Cup. Sandelin drew the ire of the American fans, who were well aware of the incident, which led to a strange exchange at the second hole. Sandelin missed a short putt for birdie, for which the crowd cheered, prompting Sandelin to raise his hands in mock acknowledgement of the cheering. He never looked comfortable and lost to Mickelson 4 & 3. Jesper Parnevik, separated from García, looked out of sorts, losing six of the first eight holes against David Duval, and lost by a five-hole margin. Woods then closed out Coltart to give the U.S. a 12–10 lead, their first lead of the week.
The Americans had won the first six matches of the day. Pádraig Harrington got the Europeans their first point of the day when his opponent Mark O'Meara could not escape a bunker at the final hole. Steve Pate answered by defeating Miguel Ángel Jiménez. The biggest European win came from the anchor match, with Paul Lawrie winning three of the first eight holes against Jeff Maggert, and going on to win 4 & 3. However, Sergio García lost by the same margin to Jim Furyk, his first loss of the week. Both Parnevik and García lost by large margins in singles after going undefeated in team play.
The Americans now led 14–12, with two matches on the course. The U.S. now needed just half a point to win, while Europe needed two points to retain the cup in a tie situation. The remaining matches pitted Colin Montgomerie against Payne Stewart, and José María Olazábal against Justin Leonard. Montgomerie and Stewart had gone back and forth for much of the front nine, with both players making several long putts. Montgomerie then won the 12th to move 2 up. Stewart won the 14th, while both players found trouble at 15, and both faced lengthy par putts. Montgomerie missed from 15 feet, while Stewart holed from 35 feet to square the match with three holes to play. Stewart's excited fist pump has been used on many Ryder Cup promotional materials, including NBC's telecast opens, since the American's death a month later.
Meanwhile, the other match appeared to be a blowout with Olazábal leading Leonard 4 up with just seven holes to play. However, the Spaniard played the next three holes in 5-6-5, losing all three, to drop his lead to one hole. Leonard then sunk a 40-foot putt at the 15th to square the match, a scene very similar to Stewart's putt at the same green. At the 17th, Leonard had another 40 footer for birdie, with Olazábal about 15 feet closer. Leonard holed the unlikely birdie, sending the American team into a frenzy. The team, their wives and NBC cameramen all ran onto the green to hug Leonard, with the cameramen allegedly stepping in Olazábal's line. Eventually order was restored, and Olazábal had a 25-foot putt to keep Europe's hope alive. He missed, and the American comeback was complete, with Leonard dormie, guaranteeing the half point needed by the U.S.
With the crowd in a frenzy, the heavily criticized marshalls unable to keep order and the result already decided, Stewart conceded the putt Montgomerie had to win on the 18th, in a gesture of sportsmanship for the abuse Montgomerie in particular had suffered throughout. This made the final score 14½–13½ officially.
Individual player records
Each entry refers to the Win–Loss–Half record of the player.Source: