Ryder Cup victory was the proudest moment of my career.
The world’s best players head to Oak Hill for this week’s US PGA. As they do, my mind will drift back to the 1995 Ryder Cup. Captaining the European team to only our second-ever victory on American soil was the proudest achievement of my career.
People still talk to me now about that match and our comeback on the final day.
Last year’s fightback at Medinah was incredible from 10-4 down, but what we did at Oak Hill was just as special.
At the time, Europe were always underdogs, even though we’d won a couple of matches under Tony Jacklin in the 1980s.
We were trailing 9-7 ahead of the Singles. But as well as our opponents, history was also against us.
That comeback laid down the marker for the future. It showed that Europe could take on the Americans anywhere without fear.
Look at what’s happened since. Six more wins from eight matches. My overriding memory is of Nick Faldo holing his putt on the last to beat Curtis Strange, and Seve Ballesteros running onto the green to hug him.
They held centre stage for what seemed like an age, and they deserved it.
Seeing these two giants of European golf crying showed what a special moment it was. Philip Walton still needed to beat Jay Haas in the last match to secure the Cup. When I told him what he’d done, he was just bewildered!
Seve was an inspirational figure that week. His game had started to go, and he almost knew that it would be his last Ryder Cup as a player. You could feel his enthusiasm coming through, and the rest of the team wanted to win it for him.
Having done the job twice before, I hadn’t really expected to be asked again. But the European Tour boss Ken Schofield said that the players still wanted me, and going to the States wasn’t right for a new captain.
Somehow I didn’t really feel the pressure of having lost twice before. I was confident and upbeat about our chances. I had a good feeling about Oak Hill from the first time I visited it.
Seeing large tree-lined holes and a big clubhouse, it immediately reminded me of my home club, Wentworth.
Oak Hill’s members treated me well and I sensed that we were in for none of the hostilities we’d faced at Kiawah Island in 1991.
So it proved.
Plus, the weather was autumnal, just like in the UK, and the players all felt comfortable in those surroundings. And it was certainly a sweet feeling flying back home on Concorde celebrating with the Cup.
I’m probably biased, but Oak Hill is a great venue for the US PGA. Look at the winners of previous Majors held there and you find Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus.
That would suggest we’ll have another great winner this week.
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