1999 Ryder Cup
The 33rd Ryder Cup Matches, also known as the "Battle of Brookline", were held between September 24–26 at The Country Club in Brookline, 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 6 matches of the day to surge into the lead. Jim Furyk upset Sergio García to give the Americans their 8th point of the day, and the Americans recaptured the cup when Justin Leonard halved his match with José María Olazábal.
The behavior of the U.S. team was criticized after they raucously invaded the 17th green following a long putt from Leonard before Olazábal could tackle a shorter putt which would have kept European hopes alive, an incident which was viewed by many as appalling sportsmanship. 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".
It was nevertheless tied as the largest come-from-behind victory in Ryder Cup history with Europe achieving the same feat in 2012, and it is widely regarded as one of the most impressive come-from-behind victories in recent sports history.
This was also one of the last public appearances of Payne Stewart, who died in a plane crash less than a month later.
Read more about 1999 Ryder Cup: Format, The Course
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