1997 Ryder Cup 1997 Ryder Cup The 32nd Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Valderrama Golf Club in Sotogrande, Spain, marking the first time the event was contested in continental Europe. The European team won the competition by a margin of 14½ to 13½ and retained the Ryder Cup. The Europeans held a 10½–5½ lead heading into the final day, but the Americans mounted a comeback by winning the singles matches 8–4 but fell just short. Colin Montgomerie halved the final match with Scott Hoch (conceding a par putt on the final hole) to seal the outright victory for the Europeans. This
1999 Ryder Cup victory in Ryder Cup history, although Europe achieved the same feat in 2012. It is widely regarded as one of the most impressive come-from-behind victories in recent sports history. This was one of the last public appearances of Payne Stewart, who died in a plane crash less than a month later. Members of the U.S. team spoke out in press conferences in what appeared to be a blatant attempt to bait certain members of the European team into a confrontational response. Jeff Maggert being one of the worst offenders when (at the time ranked 18 in the world) lavishly and