The Week Sept. 21-27
It Was a Thing of Beauty
No sour grapes, the Euros said after getting thrashed on Sunday,
but the behavior of U.S. players and fans was the most
disgusting thing they'd ever seen in golf. Really? Worse than
Caddyshack II, the Team USA unis or Jim Furyk's swing? These
Euros need to get out more. The best Cups, like the '91 War by
the Shore, are the edgiest, the ones that chafe the etiquette
police while captivating audiences. Disgusting? May the rematch
at the Belfry be as gross.
PGA The U.S. staged the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history,
making up more than twice as big a deficit (four points) as any
team had before to beat Europe 14 1/2-13 1/2 at the Country Club
in Brookline, Mass. It was only the sixth time a team has come
from behind to win on the final day.... Mark O'Meara fell into a
tie with Raymond Floyd and Jack Nicklaus for most singles
matches lost by a U.S. player (four). Christy O'Connor Sr. has a
record 10 singles losses for Europe.... Over the first 26 Ryder
Cups, the average margin of victory was 5.62 points. Over the
last seven, it has been slightly more than a point (1.14)....
Duffy Waldorf, who won the Texas Open in 1995, won it again,
sinking a 50-foot birdie putt on the first hole of sudden death
to defeat Ted Tryba at LaCantera Golf Club in San Antonio. It
was the second playoff victory of '99 for Waldorf, who in June
won the Buick Classic in overtime.
LPGA Juli Inkster became the 17th member of the LPGA Hall of
Fame, and the third to qualify this year (after Amy Alcott and
Beth Daniel), when she topped Tina Barrett and Grace Park by six
strokes at the Safeway Championship at Columbia Edgewater
Country Club in Portland.... Karrie Webb shot 74-76 and missed
the cut for just the second time in 22 starts in '99.... Inkster
trails Webb by only 28.29 points for player of the year. Both
are scheduled to play in the Columbus LPGA Classic this week,
and then the Tournament of Champions and the Tour Championship
to close out the season.... The cash-strapped Titleholders
Championship, begun in 1937 and one of the tour's oldest events,
will not be played next year.
SENIOR Gil Morgan became the tour's seventh multiple winner of
'99 by shooting a final-round 63 at the Kroger Senior Classic in
Mason, Ohio. Ed Dougherty, who led after two rounds, finished
second for the fourth time this season.
ALSO Frank Nobilo and Phil Tataurangi of New Zealand withdrew
from the Oct. 7-10 Dunhill Cup at St. Andrews and were replaced
by Michael Campbell and Michael Long.
COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY SIMON BRUTY The Brookline Bomber A Cup-clinching 45-foot putt turned Justin Leonard into a hero among the adoring Country Club set.
UP and Down
Singles Pairs
Garcia-Parnevik Garcia, Parnevik
Justin Leonard Johnny Miller
Ben Crenshaw Mark James
Juli Inkster Karrie Webb