From Seve’s sass to Cantlay’s cap and caddie: 6 times the Ryder Cup got out of hand
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Tensions have boiled over on a number of occasions as the teams from Europe and the United States go head-to-head in the biennial showdown, so we’ve recalled some of our favorite Ryder Cup controversies.
For all that golf is renowned as a game of respect and good behaviour, played by people of upstanding character, there is one event where all that tends to be launched out the window in a big way.
Typically an individual sport, when the best players in the world suit up for their country or continent in the Ryder Cup, chaos often ensues.
Friendships are put to one side as Team Europe and Team USA do everything in their power to get their hands on the famous gold trophy – and that has led to some unruly scenes over the years.
Six of the best Ryder Cup controversies
As we prepare for what could be the most hostile edition in the history of the biennial contest at Bethpage in New York, let’s take a look back at some of the times it all got a little out of hand…
1989: Seve starter
Every Ryder Cup controversies list should start with one man: Seve Ballesteros.
A legend of the DP World Tour, the Spaniard took no prisoners when it came to this competition.
At The Belfry in 1989, the fiery Spaniard came to blows with Paul Azinger in the Sunday singles. The American successfully argued Ballesteros should not be allowed to change his ball – which he suggested was damaged – but the matter didn’t end there. On the 18th, Ballesteros questioned whether his opponent had taken a proper drop from a water hazard.
Ballesteros fought for every scrap in the Ryder Cup and although he lost this match, Europe retained the trophy.
1991: Fire island
The “War on the Shore” at Kiawah Island will live on in infamy.
The Americans raised eyebrows with some of their military-style camouflage team gear, which signified the bitter battle that was to come.
And, once again, at the heart of it were Seve Ballesteros and Paul Azinger. Unlike two years prior, though, tempers flared during the opening foursomes. Partnered with compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal, the Spanish duo noticed that Azinger and Chip Beck had hit the wrong ball off the 7th tee.
However, rules officials only got involved at the turn when European captain Bernard Gallacher intervened and after the Americans had gone 3-up. A heated argument broke out, but no penalties were applied as the holes had already been completed.
Incensed, Ballesteros and Olazabal played inspired golf coming home to overturn their deficit and claim victory on the 17th green.
After being labelled “the king of gamesmanship”, Ballesteros hit back, describing Team USA as “11 nice guys and Paul Azinger”.
1993: Zinger’s zinger
Back to The Belfry we go but this time it was Nick Faldo in Paul Azinger’s firing line. Trusted by their respective captains in the anchor match of the Sunday singles, both showed why they were put in that position in a tight back-and-forth clash.
Faldo aced the par-3 14th to take a slender 1-up lead but Azinger responded immediately to level things up with a birdie on the 15th. When they reached the 18th green, Azinger needed to hole his birdie putt to secure a half point, but with the Americans already clinching the cup, some expected Faldo to concede the putt. He didn’t and Azinger made it to put the final nail in Team Europe’s coffin.
Shortly after, Azinger began treatment for melanoma and would later remark: “I had cancer and he still couldn’t beat me.”
1999: Brookline brawlers
Perhaps the biggest controversy of all occurred in 1999 at The Country Club. So much so that it still draws the ire of Europeans more than two decades on.
Trailing 10-6 heading into Sunday, the hosts produced an incredible comeback to take the contest to the wire. It was typified by Justin Leonard, who battled back from 4-down to level his match against Jose Maria Olazabal. A crucial point was on the line as Leonard sized up a 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th. His long effort somehow found the bottom of the cup, sparking scenes of pandemonium in the American camp as players, wives, and hangers-on flooded the green in jubilation.
Olazabal, who still had a putt to halve the hole, was forced to wait for the commotion to die down and deal with the stampede that had run all over his line. Unsurprisingly, he missed it and the US side went on to complete their remarkable turnaround.
The aftermath, however, was dominated by the ugly 17th-green incident.
Vice-captain Sam Torrance described Lehman’s behavior as “disgusting” for someone who “calls himself a man of God” while the US press – who dubbed it “the Battle of Brookline” – was particularly scathing of the team’s antics.
“It seems an American team can’t get through an international competition without acting like jackasses at some point,” wrote The Washington Post, while the Los Angeles Times said Ben Crenshaw’s men had “violated every principle of proper golf decorum and decent manners”.
2014: Phil the wrath
After five losses in six editions, Tom Watson was drafted in to captain a US side that hadn’t – and still hasn’t – won on foreign soil since 1993. But despite some promising performances from his troops, Team Europe secured a fairly comfortable 16.5-11.5 victory at Gleneagles to continue their Ryder Cup dominance.
Dating back to 1995, it was an eighth win from 10 for the blue and gold charges, and this appeared to be the straw that broke the backs of the Americans. The losing Ryder Cup press conference is usually a gloomy affair, but it descended into an astonishing blame game as Phil Mickelson appeared to point the finger at his skipper.
Referencing the victory in 2008 at Valhalla under Paul Azinger, Mickelson said: “Unfortunately we have strayed from a winning formula in 2008 for the last three Ryder Cups and we need to consider maybe getting back to that formula that helped us play our best.”
Asked if he thought his comments were disloyal to Watson, Lefty added: “Oh, I’m sorry you’re taking it that way. I’m just talking about what Paul Azinger did to help us play our best.”
He then said “nobody” on the American side was part of the decision-making process.
To his credit, Watson refused to fire back, but Mickelson’s remarks caused a storm in a Ryder Cup teacup that will live long in the memory.
2023: LIV and let die
Where to begin with the 2023 Ryder Cup? It was the first after the inception of LIV Golf and those who made the switch saw their hopes of featuring in Rome all but snuffed out.
Henrik Stenson was stripped of the captaincy as punishment for joining the Saudi-funded breakaway league, while other European stalwarts Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter all missed out after resigning their DP World Tour memberships.
On the American side, the criticism of LIV and those who defected from the PGA Tour was equally stinging. With players suspended from the American circuit, their only route to points was through the majors, which left that summer’s PGA champion Brooks Koepka as the sole LIV representative on either side.
And the drama did not stop when the action got underway.
Rory McIlroy was involved in one of the craziest bust-ups in Ryder Cup history late on Saturday night. It was sparked by a report of a divide in the US team room over appearance fees. At the heart of it all was Patrick Cantlay, who apparently refused to wear his USA cap in protest.
European fans leapt all over the news, waving their hats in the air every time Cantlay stepped onto a tee, fairway or green.
Seemingly sick of the jibes, Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, lashed out at the fans after the American nailed a long birdie putt on the 18th in the fourball match between he and Wyndham Clark and McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick.
However, McIlroy felt LaCava’s remonstrations crossed the line and impacted his preparation as he sized up a birdie putt that would have secured a half point. Watching from behind the green, Shane Lowry was also livid at what transpired and, an hour or so later, it spilled into the car park.
Hurling barbs as Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay acted as the peacekeeper for the Americans, a fuming McIlroy had to be held back and then bundled into a car by Lowry.
McIlroy put the melee behind him the following day to win his singles match as Europe wrapped up a convincing win.
Only at the Ryder Cup.
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There have been a number of Ryder Cup controversies down the years.
