War By The Shore: The 1991 Ryder Cup

Ed. note: This remembrance is the fourth in a series to highlight noteworthy Ryder Cup matches, during the week the biennial event was to be played at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.

Even the name caused tension.

The 1991 Ryder Cup had the framework to be an explosive spectacle before a single shot was hit. It had been eight years since the last American victory, a fact that helped establish a newfound underdog mentality for a team that long viewed the event as an automatic win. That passion was only heightened by a time of beaming patriotism as the United States was just seven months removed from the Gulf War, its first decisive military victory since World War II — several American players showed up to their first match with camouflage hats, while the opening ceremony was focused almost entirely on honoring the home country’s military. A few days before the competition, Payne Stewart had opened the windows to the Americans’ Kiawah Island condo, which was directly above the Europeans, and blasted Bruce Springsteen’s Bor...