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Going Out With A Bang The final Ryder Cup of the century guarantees a big future for the event
By John Garrity
To be sure, not all of the excited witnesses in Brookline, Mass., recognized Justin Leonard's U.S. victory-clinching putt for what it was--a 45-foot fuse. The Europeans grumbled about the unfortunate heckling directed at Colin Montgomerie by spectators and pouted over the American players' alleged lack of sportsmanship for celebrating their victory prematurely. But does anybody really believe the events of last weekend were bad for the biennial matches? A few weeks ago critics were worried that the series was losing its fizz. Now that cloying '70s lyric "skyrockets in flight" describes the trajectory the Ryder Cup will take into the new millennium. For a start, there will be no player boycotts of future Ryder Cups, as vaguely threatened in July by David Duval and Tiger Woods. Before Sunday's comeback win, most of the U.S. players knew only defeat at the hands of the Europeans. Understandably, they couldn't muster much enthusiasm for an event that required them to play their hearts out for flag and country, only to be reviled as chokers when they fell a point short. But Sunday changed everything. The young U.S. stars partied with the throngs outside the clubhouse at sunset, drunk on victory and newly aware that there are certain rewards that money can't buy. "They now know what the Ryder Cup spirit is all about," said U.S. assistant captain Bruce Lietzke. "You could offer them a million dollars and it wouldn't matter." Second, this year's boffo ending guarantees even greater enthusiasm for the Cup from already giddy advertisers and corporate sponsors. Sunday's play on NBC received a Ryder Cup record rating, while more Europeans watched their team get handed their ears than watched bullfights in Ernest Hemingway's lifetime, and as we all know, when you make good television, you make good money. The PGA of America expected to clear $68 million by the time the last hot dog wrapper was picked up at the Country Club. Their European counterparts could take in $100 million at the Belfry in 2001. Granted, the matches themselves veer ever further away from the original notion of the Ryder Cup as a friendly competition. The new century will bring more taunting and heckling of players by fans, similar to the abuse heaped on Montgomerie at Brookline. This is bad. But there will also be more wild displays of exuberance like the Americans' victory dance at the 17th green on Sunday (resented by the Europeans) and the jack-in-the-box vault off a cart by Spain's Sergio Garcia on Saturday (enjoyed by everyone). This is good. Here's another mixed blessing: There will be no more worrying about the feelings of the so-called bench players. Mark James held back three of his rookies until Sunday, and Ben Crenshaw played 1998 Masters and British Open champ Mark O'Meara in only one of four partner matches. Duval was asked why the European team always seems to excel in the pairs. "It's because the European captains are not afraid to tell somebody he's not playing," he said. That approach may not warm many hearts, but Duval's got it right: The leaner and meaner the competition, the greater the drama. That's why this year's Ryder Cup--joyful one minute, nasty the next--set a five-star standard. Years from now people will say that the American victory in '99 was the one that confirmed the Ryder Cup's position as the biggest event in golf. Nothing beats a good grudge match. Issue date: October 4, 1999
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