- 1999 Ryder Cup
Infobox Ryder Cup
year = 1999
dates = September 24–26
venue =The Country Club
location =Brookline, Massachusetts
home = US
away = EU
homecaptain =Ben Crenshaw
awaycaptain = Mark James
homescore = 14½
awayscore = 13½
result = United States winsThe 33rd Ryder Cup Matches, also known as the "Battle of Brookline", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7616263.stm] were held between September 24-26 atThe Country Club inBrookline, Massachusetts .The American team won the competition by a margin of 14½ to 13½, the closest score possible in a Ryder Cup competition except for a tie. The Europeans, leading 10-6 heading into the final round, needed only 4 points on the final day to retain the cup. But the Americans rallied on Sunday, winning the first 7 matches of the day.
Jim Furyk upsetSergio García to give the Americans their 8th point of the day, and the Americans captured the cup with 8½ points whenJustin Leonard halved his match withJosé María Olazábal .The behaviour of the US team was criticised after they ran over the green following a long putt from Leonard on the 17th green before Olazabal had putted out, which was viewed by many as a disregard to sportsmanship. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/3977399.stm Lehman named US Ryder Cup captain] ,
BBC Sport ,3 November 2004 .] [Davies, David. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2004/nov/18/golf.daviddavies Casey opens war with America] , "The Guardian ",November 18 2004 .] Veteran broadcasterAlistair Cooke described the last day of the tournament as "a date that will live in infamy" in aLetter from America called "The arrival of the golf hooligan." [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/letter_from_america/464752.stm]It was the largest come-from-behind victory in Ryder Cup history, and it is widely regarded as one of the most impressive come-from-behind victories in recent sports history. [ Shipnuck, Alan. [http://www.golf.com/golf/special/article/0,28136,1833909,00.html]
Sports Illustrated ,4 October 1999 ]This was also one of the last public appearances of
Payne Stewart , who died in a plane crash less than a month later.Format
The
Ryder Cup is amatch play event, with each match worth one point. The competition format used from 1991 to 2002 was as follows:
*Day 1 (Friday) — 4 four-ball (better ball) matches in a morning session and 4 foursome (alternate shot) matches in an afternoon session
*Day 2 (Saturday) — 4 foursome matches in a morning session and 4 four-ball matches in an afternoon session
*Day 3 (Sunday) — 12 singles matchesWith a total of 28 points, 14½ points were required to win the Cup, and 14 points were required for the defending champion to retain the Cup. All matches were played to a maximum of 18 holes.Teams
=flagicon|EU|size=50px 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, with European Captain Mark James selecting two additional players to complete the team—Andrew Coltart and Jesper Parnevik.
Captain: flagicon|England Mark James
*flagicon|Northern IrelandDarren Clarke
*flagicon|SpainSergio García
*flagicon|IrelandPádraig Harrington
*flagicon|SpainMiguel Ángel Jiménez
*flagicon|ScotlandPaul Lawrie
*flagicon|ScotlandColin Montgomerie
*flagicon|SpainJosé María Olazábal
*flagicon|SwedenJarmo Sandelin
*flagicon|FranceJean Van de Velde
*flagicon|EnglandLee Westwood
*flagicon|ScotlandAndrew Coltart — captain's pick
*flagicon|SwedenJesper Parnevik — captain's pick
=flagicon|USA|size=50px Team United States=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, Aug. 12-15, 1999. Points are 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.
Captain:
Ben Crenshaw
*David Duval
*Jim Furyk
*Justin Leonard
*Hal Sutton
*Davis Love III
*Jeff Maggert
*Phil Mickelson
*Mark O'Meara
*Payne Stewart
*Tiger Woods
*Steve Pate — captain's pick
*Tom Lehman — captain's pickFriday's matches
Morning foursomes
Afternoon four-ball
unday's matches
ingles
The course
The Country Club , located inBrookline, Massachusetts , is one of the oldestcountry club s in the United States. It holds an important place ingolf history, as it was one of the five charter clubs which founded theUnited States Golf Association , and has hosted numerous USGA tournaments including the famous 1913 U.S. Open won by then-unknownFrancis Ouimet . The club is one of the largest of its kind in the northeastern U.S., with about 1300 members.Notes
References
*cite web |url=http://www.rydercup.com/2006/europe/history/results/1999.html |title=Ryder Cup 2006 » History » 1999 Results |publisher=The PGA of America, Ryder Cup Limited, and Turner Sports Interactive |accessdate=2007-03-14
*cite web |url=http://golf.about.com/od/teamcompetitions/p/rydercup1999.htm |title=Ryder Cup – 1999 |publisher=About:Golf |accessdate=2007-03-14
*cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/3913453.stm |title=Ryder Cup history: 1999 |publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=2007-03-14
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