A NEW DAWN
Thirty years ago today, Sam Torrance clinched Europe’s first Ryder Cup victory...
IT WAS 30 years ago today that Europe won the Ryder Cup for the first t i me as a united continent. ‘It was the day the European Tour took off,’ says the Spaniard Manuel Pinero, the leading points scorer that week with four victories out of five. Sportsmail spoke to six key players — Torrance, Pinero, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Howard Clark and Paul Way, plus the winning captain Tony Jacklin.
THE BUILD-UP
JACKLIN: We were definitely a team on a mission. We were very disappointed not to win in 1983, when it looked for all the world like we were going to do it in Florida, only to lose out on the final afternoon. LYLE: We had Seve as the figurehead, the Masters champion in Bernhard Langer, I was the Open champion, and we had Woosie and Nick Faldo. We were ready. CLARK: In 1981 I heard our captain John Jacobs telling their captain Dave Marr to go easy on us. How times had changed.
DAY ONE
Europe lost the first session 3-1 but rallied in the afternoon. There was a victory for Woosnam and Way, while Seve Ballesteros and Pinero claimed two points out of two. JACKLIN: That morning was a reality check but I still thought it would prove just a small blip. PINERO: I’d played with Seve many times. He was the ultimate team player. WAY: I was thrilled when I found out I was playing with Woosie. We were three up at one stage but they came back at us. At the last I hit a fantastic four iron and managed to sink a 12ft birdie putt to win.
DAY TWO
Craig Stadler missed an 18-inch putt for a victory in the final morning match against Langer and Lyle. Europe dominated the afternoon for a two-point lead. LYLE: We were two down with two to play but I’d holed an eagle putt at the 17th. We didn’t think we were getting anything from the match, however, when Craig stood over his short putt. TORRANCE: I was in the team room when Stadler was putting, having won my match with Howard and I was jumping around when the putt missed. JACKLIN: It was like a light switch going on for our side.
DAY THREE:
Europe were coasting from the moment Pinero shot down Ameri can talisman Lanny Wadkins. Wins followed for Way, Lyle and Langer. Clarke had a chance at a winning putt, but missed from 4ft to close out his match at the 17th. The stage was set for Torrance. TORRANCE: We were asked where we wanted to play in the singles. Pinero said he wanted Wadkins. No-one [else] wanted Wadkins. When the rest of us were walking round, looking at the scoreboards and seeing Manuel winning, it put smiles on all of our faces. PINERO: The only match Seve and I had lost was to Wadkins. That was why I wanted to play him. It went like a dream. CLARK: Should it have been me who holed the winning putt? In many ways, it would have put a dampener on it if such a historic moment had been decided on the 17th green. I’ve seen the video many times and how fitting it was that it came down to the 18th, and to Sam. TORRANCE: I never won a major even though I tried all my life so this was, by far, my best moment as a player.
AFTERMATH
WOOSNAM: It was great drinking the champagne left over by captain Dai Rees from the last [Britain and Ireland] success in 1957. PINERO: It was the moment the European Tour took off. Look at what happened after that. Our top players went from strength to strength. WAY: My abiding memory of the celebrations was being in the leisure centre and we chucked Faldo into the swimming pool. He’d lost two matches out of two. Then we all jumped in.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
MANUEL PINERO, PAUL WAY, BERNHARD LANGER, JOSE RIVERO: Playing on the European Senior Tour. IAN WOOSNAM, SANDY LYLE: Playing on the Champions Tour in America. SEVE BALLESTEROS: The great Spaniard died of brain cancer in 2011. SAM TORRANCE: Broadcaster with the BBC and a winner on the senior tour. HOWARD CLARK: Sky TV commentator. NICK FALDO: Commentator for CBS TV. JOSE-MARIA CANIZARES: Coached son Alejandro to European Tour success. KEN BROWN: BBC TV commentator.