THE STUNNING VICTORY by the USA in the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline remains the greatest comeback in the history of golf, or apparel.
For the inside scoop on how the Americans prepared for the incredible win, it happens that I had bugged the team’s private dining room on that crucial Saturday night as they talked of rallying themselves from eight points down after two days of losing four-balls and foursomes—and there were only twelve singles matches left.
On this tape you hear the words of everyone who had a part in the riveting comeback.
Dining sounds in background. Forks hitting plates, glasses tinkling.
CAPTAIN BEN CRENSHAW: I want all of you to know I feel good about tomorrow. I’m a great believer in fate. Fate’s gonna take care of us.
MALE VOICE: What can fate do about our shirts?
BEN CRENSHAW: What do you mean?
MALE VOICE: We’ve been wearing olive drab, black, brown, and gray all week. I’ve taken a sneak look at our uniforms for tomorrow. Our shirts look maroon and they got splotches all over them.
JUSTIN LEONARD: I think that must be the color Francis Wee-may wore when he beat Vardon and Ray here.
PAYNE STEWART: I think it’s Francis Cue-may, Justin.
BEN CRENSHAW: It’s Francis Wee-met. And he upset Vardon and Ray right here at The Country Club, like we’re gonna do tomorrow.
DAVID DUVAL: Who are Vardon and Ray?
JULIE CRENSHAW: Since the subject of our uniforms has come up, I would like for everybody to know I had only $275,000 to work with.
BEN CRENSHAW: I know some of you are gonna hear that our shirts look like a spaghetti Bolognese, but I think they’re neat. Those splotches are pictures of a lot of our past Ryder Cup teams—and it doesn’t bother me too much as a Longhorn that they’re Aggie maroon. Shirts don’t swing the club.
FEMALE VOICE: I can’t believe y’all are sitting here talking about shirts. You’re getting your brains beat out by a bunch of European waiters and dishwashers. I mean, who are these people?
JEFF MAGGERT: Nobody, man. We’re still the twelve greatest players in the world, even when we lose.
TOM LEHMAN: We need to get the crowd into it early.
TIGER WOODS: I don’t know. I did a fist pump Friday and almost threw my shoulder out. Nobody cared but Michael Jordan. I guess it would have helped more if Lehman and me hadn’t been two down to the dishwashers.
PHIL MICKELSON: It’s not easy to play your best when the crowd’s yelling, “Go, Sergio” … and … “How do you like this exhibition, rich guy?”
AMY MICKELSON: That was so ugly. I can’t believe anybody would say something like that to Phil.
DAVID DUVAL: Who’s Phil?
BEN CRENSHAW: Sergio’s a great kid. Close to the best in the world, too.
TIGER WOODS: I wouldn’t go that far.
JULIE CRENSHAW: I don’t see how they can be so far ahead of us. We have way more Bushes here than they do. We have President Bush, First Lady Barbara Bush, Governor George W. Bush, and Governor Bush from some other state.
ROBIN LOVE: People, may I have your attention? I want to read you something inspiring. It comes from Harvey Penick. He says in his little red book, “Take … dead … aim.”
Long pause.
STEVE PATE: That’s it?
ROBIN LOVE: I think it’s very inspiring.
STEVE PATE: Take dead aim at what?
DAVID DUVAL: Who’s Harvey Penick?
Applause as Texas governor George W. Bush makes a surprise entrance.
GOV. BUSH: You fellows aren’t in as much trouble as the heroes of the Alamo, but maybe you can take heart from what Colonel William Travis, the brave commander, said to his troops in the middle of that gallant battle.
BEN CRENSHAW: I invited Governor Bush to speak to you and lift your morale.
GOV. BUSH: If I may proudly quote the colonel: “I am besieged with thousands of troops under General Santa Anna. We have sustained constant bombardment and cannonade. The enemy has demanded we surrender and lay down our maroon shirts with splotches, otherwise we will be put to the sword or left with Mark O’Meara as our only hope. I have answered with cannon shot, and our black, brown, and gray shirts of the first two days still wave proudly over the wall. We are determined to sustain ourselves as long as possible or die like brave men who never got to wear the red, white, and blue.”
BEN CRENSHAW: Thank you, Governor. Now before we go to war tomorrow, I want to say this one more time. I did not have uniform discussions with that woman.