After controversial premature celebrations on the green, Olazabal then missed his 22-foot birdie putt to leave Leonard one up with just one hole to play, assuring him of a half point and guaranteeing an American victory.

[2][3][4][5][6] Veteran broadcaster Alistair Cooke described the last day of the tournament as "a date that will live in infamy" in a Letter from America entitled "The arrival of the golf hooligan".

[7] At the time, the American win was the largest final day come-from-behind victory in Ryder Cup history; Europe achieved the same feat in 2012.

It was one of the five charter clubs which founded the United States Golf Association, and has hosted numerous USGA tournaments including the U.S. Open in 1913, won by then-unknown Francis Ouimet.

The weekend was covered live by NBC Sports, with Dick Enberg and Johnny Miller in the 18th tower, Dan Hicks calling holes, and on-course reporters Gary Koch, Mark Rolfing, Roger Maltbie, and John Schroeder.

As vice-captains, European captain Mark James selected Ken Brown and Sam Torrance, to assist him during the tournament.

The top 10 finishers on the points list automatically qualified for the 12-member team, and U.S. Captain Ben Crenshaw selected the final two players—Steve Pate and Tom Lehman.

As vice-captains, United States captain Ben Crenshaw selected Bruce Lietzke and Bill Rogers, to assist him during the tournament.

With the Americans' top two pairings losing, the Europeans gained confidence, finding a dynamic duo in Jesper Parnevik and Sergio García.

Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke defeated Tiger Woods and David Duval, the top two players in the world rankings.

Woods missed a short eagle putt at the 14th that would have squared the match, while Westwood hit a fantastic chip shot at the final hole to secure victory.

Woods eagled 14 while Pate hit a shot from the rough at the 18th to within 15 feet to secure the win over Pádraig Harrington and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

Jesper Parnevik and Sergio García won their third straight match, dominating the back nine to handily beat Justin Leonard and Payne Stewart.

The final match on the course pitted Jeff Maggert and Hal Sutton against Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie.

With the Americans desperate to climb back into the contest, Captain Ben Crenshaw changed up some pairings in hope of making up at least two points.

After playing with Maggert during the first three sessions, Sutton teamed with Leonard, but could only produce a half against the Spanish duo of Miguel Ángel Jiménez and José María Olazábal.

Phil Mickelson finally found his game, nearing holing out for eagle at the 10th, as he and Tom Lehman defeated Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke.

Parnevik then responded by pitching in for a par at the 12th to halve the hole, causing García to engage in a large display of emotion, running onto the green pumping his fists, then doing a victory lap.

García then holed his birdie to salvage a half point, keeping he and Parnevik undefeated for the week, and causing another wild European celebration.

Due to the opposite strategies, this resulted in the three rookies playing their first Ryder Cup matches against the three top American players at that time, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, and Tiger Woods.

Woods, looking much more comfortable in individual play, followed with a chip-in of his own a few minutes later at the 8th, which caused an enormous roar from the crowd that could be heard through the course.

Jesper Parnevik, separated from García, looked out of sorts, losing six of the first eight holes against David Duval, and lost by a five-hole margin.

Pádraig Harrington got the Europeans their first point of the day when his opponent Mark O'Meara could not escape a bunker at the final hole.

The remaining matches pitted Colin Montgomerie against Payne Stewart, and José María Olazábal against Justin Leonard.

Stewart's excited fist pump has been used on many Ryder Cup promotional materials, including NBC's telecast opens, since his death a month later.

[2] Vice-captain Sam Torrance stated that many of those who had run onto the green had done so over Olazábal's putting line, and further singled out Tom Lehman's behavior on the final day as "disgusting" for someone who "calls himself a man of God".