Ryder Cup Ballesteros – had been guilty of excessive celebration and gamesmanship as far back as the 1985 Ryder Cup Matches, without attracting the same criticism from the European media. There was still considerable bad blood after the match, with some of the European players complaining about the behavior of the American galleries throughout the match. Sam Torrance branded it "disgusting", while European captain Mark James referred to it as a "bear pit" in a book recounting the event. There were also reports that a spectator spat at James' wife. Payne Stewart had conceded his singles match to Colin Montgomerie with both
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