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
1997 Ryder Cup was the first of six consecutive victories at home by Europe, a streak that remains intact through 2018. The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. The competition format used in 1997 was as follows: With a total of 28 points, 14½ points were required to win the Cup, and 14 points were required for the defending champion to retain the Cup. All matches were played to a maximum of 18 holes. The selection process for the European team remained largely unchanged from that used in 1995 with two captain's picks. If captain Ballesteros