1993 Ryder Cup

Welcome to 1993. Take That teamed up with Lulu. There were four UK terrestrial television channels. England were preparing for a crucial World Cup qualifier in the Netherlands. Five of America's 2023 Ryder Cup team had not been born. The world wide web was still a thing of the future. Prince Andrew was allowed to present the Ryder Cup to the winning captain. The past is indeed a foreign country.

As captain Tom Watson lifted up the Ryder Cup at the Belfry on September 26, 1993, you would have got long odds on the American team waiting at least 30 years to triumph on European soil. But since that Sunday in the Midlands, six US captains - including Watson again in 2014 - have tried and failed to take the trophy back across the Atlantic. Thirty years of hurt. 

At the time it felt like the end of an era and the start of another period of American dominance. Admittedly the 1991 and 1993 wins had been nip and tuck throughout, but America's strength in depth coupled with an apparent lack of successors behind Europe's ageing stars painted a worrying image for the future. Yet history tells us another tale.

Prior to the 2023 event, America's win in 1993 remains the last time the country has successfully retained the cup. Even this seemed unlikely come the end of the Saturday morning foursomes as Watson's men trailed Bernard Gallacher's team by three points. But from this point on, key decisions made and European frailties tipped the scales in favour of the visitors.

Understandably the Americans were favourites coming into the 1993 matches. Seven of their team had won majors - Paul Azinger, Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Lee Janzen, Payne Stewart, and captain's picks Ray Floyd and Lanny Wadkins - and Corey Pavin would join this group two years later. Priced at 10/11 with Europe evens, Watson's team looked well set to win their first Ryder Cup in Europe since 1981.

Gallacher was insisting that this would be his last Ryder Cup match in charge, and coming into the event he seemed to have a few concerns over player form, fitness and partnerships. Seve Ballesteros was without a win on the European tour all season and Jose Maria Olazabal came into the event concerned about his game.

Both Spaniards would be captain's picks, with Gallacher opting for Joakim Haeggman as his final selection. The 24-year-old would be the first Swede to play in the Ryder Cup, pipping Ronan Rafferty for the last spot, his twelve top-ten finishes on the tour impressing Gallacher enough to select a rookie.

As well as Haeggman, Peter Baker, Barry Lane, and Constantino Rocca would be making their first Ryder Cup appearance, with Janzen, Davis Love III, Jim Gallagher Jnr, and John Cook the four rookies on the American team. The pressure surrounding the week was almost suffocating, and some of the rookies would drown in the tension.

Naturally a lot of the talk in the build-up to the Belfry involved the events in 1991. "But I hope we don't get any more of that 'War by the Shore' stuff we had at Kiawah last time," Ian Woosnam announced. "A load of crap, that is. The Americans got so hyped up that they were going to win whatever way they could, and that's not in the spirit of the game."

Reassuringly if there was one American captain that could get things back on track then it would be Watson. "I want the event, the Ryder Cup, to win," he said as he had to field questions about the American conduct at Kiawah Island. "For that to happen everyone has to understand that the spirit of the game is to do what's fair rather than what it takes to win."

Ironically it was Watson who would cause the biggest stir leading up to the action starting. Refusing to sign a menu at the gala dinner when approached by Sam Torrance - "Sorry Sam, if we sign yours then we'll have to do everyone's" - the British press seized on the snub. Torrance was embarrassed and fuming, yet Gallacher did his best to smooth over the incident.

Thankfully the talking finally stopped and the 30th Ryder Cup would begin, although a 2½ delay due to fog proved frustrating for golf fans on the course, those watching for the final time on the BBC, and American viewers seeing the event live on European soil for the first occasion on NBC. Eventually Pavin would strike the first tee shot in the foursomes, admitting that the nerves got to him. "I couldn't get the tee in the ground. And trying to get the ball on the tee was tricky."

Fortunately for Pavin and partner Wadkins their opponents Mark James and Sam Torrance performed badly. Four over after 12 holes, an inevitable 4&3 defeat followed. Torrance had missed three events prior to the Belfry, after damaging his sternum tackling a plant pot when sleepwalking at the same location during the English Open at the same venue. The 1993 Ryder Cup would be one to forget for the Scot.

In 1991 Gallacher had split up the previously successful Faldo/Woosnam partnership, and finding new combinations was a challenge. Pairing Colin Montgomerie with Faldo and Bernhard Langer with Woosnam proved fruitful, as both won easily in the morning foursomes.

The only surprise was the defeat for the usually solid Ballesteros/Olazabal partnership against Kite and Love III (the only rookie to selected in the morning session). In fairness, the Spaniards were three under par but when they lost 2&1 the match was level at 2-2.

There was little time for the turnaround as the fourballs started. It was here that the feelgood story of Peter Baker commenced, the Shropshire-born 25-year-old teaming up superbly with his boyhood hero Woosnam. Sinking putt after putt it was fitting that a 30-foot birdie on the last clinched a 1up victory for the pair against Gallagher Jnr and Janzen.

"I've been a spectator this afternoon," Woosnam joked. "I just went out there for a stroll." Pavin and Wadkins won their second match of the day, defeating Langer and Lane, but when Ballesteros and Olazabal gained revenge on Kite and Love III, Europe ended the day 4-3 in front.

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 superbly. All square at the 17th when darkness set in, the four played the final hole early on the Saturday, Faldo's magnificent par putt ensuring a half to maintain Europe's lead.

Come the end of the Saturday morning foursomes it looked as if Europe had taken a decisive step towards regaining the trophy. Lane and Baker may have lost to Floyd and Stewart, but wins for Faldo/Montgomerie, Langer/Woosnam, and Ballesteros/Olazabal put Europe 7½-4½ up. But there was trouble ahead for Europe's skipper.

With the fourball pairings due to be announced at midday, Ballesteros requested that Gallacher join him on the 14th. Just 15 minutes before the deadline, the great Spaniard informed his captain that he wanted to stand down from the fourball session. To compound his problems, Langer insisted that he should be rested too, as the course was playing too long for him.

Gallacher would rue the decision to rest two of his star men. "Maybe other captains would have forced them on the course and got the results," he would admit after the dust had settled. "But I know I would have had to insist and I decided that the players knew best." The displays of both in the singles would certainly justify their moves on the Saturday. But on reflection it was a key moment.

Momentum is a key concept in sport. "We lost those fourballs 3-1 and also the psychological advantage," Ballesteros said as he apologised to Europe's fans in the post-mortem. Woosnam and Baker won again, but Cook and Chip Beck stunned Faldo and Montgomerie, Rocca and James were hammered by Pavin and Gallagher Jnr, with Haeggman and Olazabal losing to Floyd and Stewart.

Europe still led 8½-7½ but it always felt as if they needed an extra buffer before the singles matches. Gallacher had hoped for a bigger lead going into the final day. "We could have gone for victory with the first half dozen matches rather than thinking tactically about going down to last place." Already frustrated that his plans had been scuppered, Gallacher was now confronted with two further issues.

The participation of Baker looked in doubt when he rushed to a local hospital after his 11-month-old daughter was taken ill. Fortunately Georgina Baker recovered, the American team kindly sending Baker a telegram in support. A tired and relieved Baker declared himself ready for the singles. Alas Torrance would have to step down.

A septic toe ruled Torrance out, Watson faced both with the grim task of confirming this when the Scot took off his sock, and then needing to find someone in his team to sit out the singles. Wadkins immediately volunteered. "I felt it was unfair for one of the other ten players who had qualified for the team to be withdrawn," he revealed. Watson told the remaining players to think of Wadkins and his sacrifice when out on the course.

With half a point each awarded for a withdrawn player, Europe needed 5½ points to regain the trophy. At times the situation looked bright. Woosnam halved a fine match with Couples, and 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, all looked good for Gallacher.

Sadly there are always stories of woe during Ryder Cup Sundays. Lane would lose to Beck on the last after being three up with five to play. Rocca led going down the 17th, but a three-putt on the penultimate green sounded alarm bells. A bogey down the last gave Love III the pivotal win. The Americans celebrated; Rocca broke down.

"I cried in the locker room with Seve but he was crying more than me," a distraught Rocca admitted. Gallagher Jnr and Love III also commiserated with the Italian, who rightly or wrongly felt his defeat was the difference between European success and failure. But to heap all of this on Rocca would be harsh.

Ballesteros went out in 42 as he lost to Gallagher Jnr; Langer was thrashed 5&3 by Kite; Olazabal lost to 51-year-old Floyd; James completed a poor weekend by losing to Stewart; Faldo did fire a hole in one at the 14th in his halved match with Azinger. But not enough of Europe's so-called engine room fired in the singles. 

America's 15-13 win looked like being a painful end to Gallacher's Ryder Cup career. "Gallacher ultimately lacked the instinctive touch, the flair for man-management that Tony Jacklin brought to the job," David Davies wrote in the Guardian. With many critical of 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. Persuaded to stay on by Europe's key men for one last stint, Gallacher would finally lift the trophy as captain as his team came back from 9-7 down to stun America. It was the boost that both Gallacher and European golf needed after the 1991 and 1993 losses.

America will be favourites again as the 2023 event near Rome draws close. But since Watson took the trophy back across the Atlantic in 1993, the Americans have won the Ryder Cup just four times, all in their own country. Trips to Spain, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and France have proved fruitless. Luke Donald will be hoping that Italy can be added to that list.

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