The first official Ryder Cup was contested in 1927 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Since that inaugural event, the Ryder Cup has grown to become a biennial sporting phenomenon, as legendary players like Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, and J.J. Henry have done battle across historic tracks such as Muirfield, Oak Hill, and Old Warson Country Club.
As with every long-running sporting event, there have been memorable moments. Bernhard Langer’s missed putt in the 1991 War by the Shore looms large, as does Justin Leonard’s improbable putt and the U.S.’s subsequent celebration in Brookline. There have been epic runs (Poulter’s birdie barrage in 2012), improbable shots (Poulter’s chip-in on 15 in 2014), and Seve-fueled comebacks (the miracle at Medinah) – and that’s just the crap that Ian Poulter’s affected in recent years.
The Ryder Cup’s long history has also had its share of curious occurrences. The one that springs to mind first is Rory’s police escort to make his tee time in 2012. But, with the help of the internet and a wonderful book that my mom got me for Christmas a few years ago, here are a handful of other notable moments from the 90-year-old tournament.
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1921
Harnett starts it up
Yes, the first Ryder Cup history nugget hails from six years before the actual tournament began. The story of who came up with the idea to stage an international golf challenge is a murky one, and many people lay claim to some part of the genesis of the Ryder Cup. But according to my handy book, the “greatest drive and determination to achieve the fixture” was shown by one James Harnett, a circulation rep for Golf Illustrated.
As players began to cross the Atlantic in both directions in search of golfing glory, the idea of a U.S.-vs-Britain showdown cropped up. Harnett sensed a business avenue (more golf = more readers), and lobbied for America’s country clubs to pitch in some funds to send a dream team of American golfers to the British Isles for a team competition. Many clubs were hesitant, but Harnett eventually got his wish, and then some. The idea grabbed the attention of the USPGA, and they voted to allot $10,000 towards the cause of sending a 10-man American team over to Britain. The two men chosen with picking this squad? Walter Hagen and James Harnett.
Upon arrival in Scotland, the American team found that the luxurious Gleneagles Hotel had yet to be completed, and were forced to sleep in converted train cars with no bathrooms or running water. Great Britain won 9-3 (with three halves).
1970s
As far as I can tell, nothing interesting happened between the start of the Ryder Cup and the 1970s. Ben Hogan captained the 1947 US team to an 11-1 thrashing in Portland, Oregon, a tournament that was surely heard by at least two dozen radio listeners in Great Britain. The U.S. retained the cup in every tournament from then until 1985, but a few fun things happened in the meantime.
Trevino gets silly
These also aren’t technically Ryder Cup stories, but they’re too good not to relate. The Ryder Cup stuff is coming, promise.
There used to be a TV series in Britain called International Pro-Celebrity Golf, which is exactly what it sounds like – a series of exhibition matches with golf pros and celebrities held at Gleneagles. In the ’70s, Lee Trevino was up to his usual antics. He played an 18-hole match with head Gleneagles pro Ian Marchbank, Trevino putting with a Coke bottle and Marchbank with a claw hammer. The match was halved, because the golf gods have a sense of humor.
Marchbank also claimed that during a practice round on the Gleneagles Queen’s Course, Trevino stood on the tee of the par-3 17th and put 14 balls on the green – one with every club in his bag.
“There was a gallery of maybe 50-60 people,” Marchbank said, “and it was absolutely amazing to stand and watch him. The putter didn’t even go along the ground, he just opened the face up and knocked it up in the air. Driver, everything. 14 balls. He is something, he really is.”
1973
Gallacher craps out
Scotsman Bernard Gallacher lives for the Ryder Cup. At 20 years old, he was the youngest player ever to represent Great Britain when he made his debut at the 1969 Ryder Cup. He went on to play in eight Cups and captain Europe three times. Sadly, his 1973 tournament was cut short by a bad piece of fish.
After the first day’s play, Gallacher had to have been pleased with himself and partner Brian Barnes. They had won their morning match over Lee Trevino and Billy Casper, then repeated the feat with a 5&4 rout over Tommy Aaron and Gay Brewer in the afternoon. According to Gallacher, they enjoyed dinner at a local hotel and all ate from a set menu. That night, Gallacher’s sleeplessness owed much more to his dinner choices than any Cup-related nerves. Sweating, feverish, and a night on the bathroom floor – it was a classic case of food poisoning. “It was just one of those things,” said Gallacher, “nobody else got sick, I got sick. It was an unexplained thing.”
An unexplained thing, and an unexpected gift for the American team. Europe’s most formidable pairing was felled before it could deliver two more blows, and Gallacher’s replacement Peter Butler was given only 90 minutes of notice before his morning tee time. The Butler-Barnes pairing lost both Day 2 matches, though Butler did become the first player to record a hole-in-one in Ryder Cup history.
1977
Jack concedes, then expands
Most people who follow golf know the story of Jack Nicklaus conceding the putt to Tony Jacklin on the final hole of the 1969 Ryder Cup. Jacklin had a three-footer to ensure the tournament ended in a draw. Since the U.S. was the defending champion, they’d retain the cup either way, and so Nicklaus picked up Jacklin’s marker and gave him the putt in a display of unmatched sportsmanship and goodwill.
Eight years later, the Golden Bear was at it again, this time on a larger scale. It’s hard to imagine now, with the American team mired in a slump, but in Jack’s era the team had grown bored of winning.
“‘We won almost every time,” Jack said. “In 1977, Weiskopf went on a sheep hunt up in Alaska rather than coming to play in the matches. You had guys making the team, but they didn’t really care if they played or not.”
Saying it would be “the best thing for the game…and the matches,” Nicklaus proposed to the British PGA that their Ryder Cup selection process be expanded to include all players on the newly created European Tour. His will was done, and the tournament became the spectacle we know and love today.
1975
Barnes fells the Bear
The 1975 Ryder Cup was played at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Lingonier, PA, a scant 20 minute drive from captain Arnold Palmer’s hometown. The Americans won in a 21-11 rout, but Brian Barnes (he of the Gallacher-Barnes pairing from earlier) had his day in the sun.
On the final day’s singles matches, he took down Jack Nicklaus twice – 4&2 in the morning, and 2&1 in the afternoon. The tournament had been decided by the time the morning matches ended, so Nicklaus actually spoke to Palmer and had him arrange a rematch against Barnes in order to keep the gamblers interested. Don’t say Jack never did anything for the degenerates out there.
Also, let’s take a second to acknowledge the fact that Jack Nicklaus played on an Arnold Palmer-captained Ryder Cup team. That’s the definition of legendary.
1999
The curious case of Andrew Coltart
If that name doesn’t ring any bells, don’t worry. It shouldn’t. Coltart’s all-time Ryder Cup record reads 0-1-0. In his only Ryder Cup match, Coltart was given the unenviable task of dueling with Tiger Woods. His 3&2 loss was one of the many casualties that Europe suffered that day in the midst of the massive United States comeback, but it stands out for a few reasons.
First, because Coltart only played that one Ryder Cup match ever. Sending the dude out totally cold to face 1999 Tiger Woods is like starting Jacoby Brissett against JJ Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and the Houston Tex– wait, bad example. The point is, the guy stood no chance.
Secondly, his sister is married to Lee Westwood, if you’re into European Tour family gossip.
And finally, Coltart stands out because in his one and only Ryder Cup match, he managed to stir up a gamesmanship conspiracy.
After he lost he tee shot left on the 9th hole, Coltart said he “was directed into the trees, to a place [he] knew the ball could never be.” After the requisite five minutes of searching, Coltart had to return to the tee and hit his third. Moments after this embarrassing shot landed, his first ball was miraculously “found” just a few yards off the fairway – tantalizingly playable, just minutes too late. Did the rules officials have it out for