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NEWS ARTICLE
In 1985 at The Belfry, the European team had a veritable Spanish Armada tint,
with four of the 12 players from Spain: Severiano Ballesteros, Manuel Piñero,
Jose Maria Cañizares and Jose Rivero.And they proved the mainstays of the team
in the first defeat of the United States since 1957.
Piñero - later to become the unofficial deputy captain of the Ryder Cup
team - finished the matches as the leading player on either team. He won his first-day
foursomes and fourballs teamed with Ballesteros, paired again with Ballesteros for
victory in the next afternoon's foursomes after they had lost their morning fourballs,
then went out first in the singles and beat Lanny Wadkins 3 & 1. Ballesteros,
meanwhile, halved his singles match against Tom Kite. Cañizares was paired with
Bernhard Langer on the first afternoon and they halved their fourballs against Craig
Stadler and Hal Sutton but he had to wait until the next afternoon to be called on
again by captain Tony Jacklin. Teamed with Rivero, making his first appearance in
the Cup, they demolished Kite and Calvin Peete 7 & 5. The next day, Peete had
his revenge against Rivero in the singles but Cañizares beat Fuzzy Zoeller.
The Europeans won 16 and a half to 11 and a half, thus emphatically endorsing
the wisdom of the 1979 initiative to expand the then British and Irish team to include
other Europeans - a move prompted by the hegemony of the Americans for so many years.
Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido were the only Spanish representatives that
first year, at Greenbrier, West Virginia - indeed they were the only «Continentals»,
Bernhard Langer having to wait until 1981 to make his first team. The U.S.still won
17-11.
In 1981 at Walton Heath, Piñero and Cañizares joined the team but
Ballesteros was left out in controversial circumstances; at the time he was involved
in a bitter dispute with Tour officials over his insistence that he be paid appearance
fees.
The Americans won 18 and a half to nine and a half points. All was forgiven
for Ballesteros by 1983, when Tony Jacklin took over as captain, and Seve and Cañizares
were the only two Spanish representatives at the PGA National Club at Palm Beach
Gardens, Florida. The Americans just scraped through this time - 14 and a half to
13 and a half. Then came the victory at The Belfry in 1985, before a historic triumph
two years later at Muirfield Village, Ohio. Lining up for Europe were Ballesteros
and Rivero, joined by Olazabal, who was in only his second year as a professional.
Ballesteros coaxed his partner Olazabal to three pairs victory before they lost the
second afternoon's fourballs and, by the time Seve had won his singles against Curtis
Strange, Europe had beaten the United States for the first time on American soil,
15-13.
Ballesteros, Olazabal and Cañizares were at The Belfry two years later,
and it was Cañizares who had the pleasure of winning a singles match against
Ken Green that ensured at least a draw for Europe and the retention of the Cup. The
match did, in fact end in a draw, 14-all. Ballesteros and Olazabal were the sole
Spanish members of the 1991 team, again forming an effective partnership though the
Americans regained the trophy with a 14 and a half to 13 and a half point victory,
secured with that fateful last green missed putt by the hapless Langer. Then to the
1993 Ryder Cup, the Belfry again (Spain was rejected as the venue amidst widespread
furore), and the Americans held on to the Cup with a 15-13 win as Ballesteros and
Olazabal once again were the only Spanish representatives.
And so to 1995, Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester (New York). Ballesteros
made the team as an automatic qualifier - in spite of losing his way after a winning
(Spanish Open) start to the season, while Olazabal was one of captain Bernard Gallacher's
wild-card selections before withdrawing injured and being replaced by Ian Woosnam.
Perhaps the most unfortunate of all, however, was the Costa del Sol's own
Miguel Angel Jimenez. Fresh from an excellent 13th place in the U.S. PGA Championship,
and well-positioned at eighth in the Ryder Cup points list (the leading 10 qualified
automatically) he decided to rest for the penultimate qualifying event, the Czech
Open. In his absence he dropped to 11th in the list and the following week, in the
German Open, missed the cut.
That left only Ballesteros to take the Spanish flag into battle. On the first
day, he helped David Gilford to a 4&3 fourball victory over Brad Faxon and Peter
Jacobsen, but the next day he and Gilford lost their fourball match against Jay Haas
and Phil Mickelson.
Going out first in the last day singles, Ballesteros lost 4&3 to Tom Lehman.
Nevertheless, his infectious competitive spirit, and inspiration, were still a key
contribution to the Europeans' 14 and a half to 13 and a half point triumph. Next
September those same qualities will play an even more important role when, as captain,
he leads the Europeans into the first Cup match to be held outside England and the
U.S. - at Valderrama.
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