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| Rising to the Challenge |
If holing the final putt which secures your maiden victory is recognised as the most nerve-wracking experience in the life of a professional golfer, lining up for your opening drive in The Ryder Cup must run it a close second.
Whereas in regular tournaments you are merely playing for yourself, the heat of battle in the Ryder Cup is intensified by the fact you have 11 other people reliant on your every move – a strain which has been known to reduce some players to quivering wrecks.
However, it is not always like that and history is peppered with Ryder Cup rookies who have risen magnificently to the challenge and who have played as if they have been in that pressure cooker situation all their lives.
A perfect example of that came in the last contest at Brookline in 1999 where Europe blooded seven rookies, the most since the Matches were opened up to Europe in 1979, and included in that number, a certain Paul Lawrie.
The Scot, who two months before the trip to Massachusetts triumphed in the Open Championship at Carnoustie, was nervous enough but that was increased when he was told his initial drive would also be the opening drive of the entire contest, watched by thousands on the course and millions on television screens worldwide.
As it turned out Lawrie dispatched a well struck shot which gave him the confidence to go on and form a formidable partnership with fellow countryman Colin Montgomerie, picking up two and a half points from four in tandem, before Lawrie himself completed an excellent debut with a 4 and 3 singles victory over Jeff Maggert.
Another memorable rookie performance in Brookline was recorded by Spain's Sergio Garcia. Although still a teenager, the Spaniard used the valuable experience gained a month earlier when he finished runner-up to Tiger Woods in the USPGA Championship at Medinah, to good effect on his return to America.
Paired with Sweden's Jesper Parnevik, who himself had notched two points out of four in his debut two years earlier at Valderrama, Garcia reveled in the limelight and, like Lawrie, collected an impressive three and a half points from five.
Looking back through the history books, although the 1993 Match at The De Vere Belfry did not end with the right result from a European perspective, it will nevertheless be a week remembered with fondness by local West Midlander, Peter Baker.
The former Walker Cup player once again exhibited his love of the match play format with a superb rookie performance, earning three points out of four including a memorable last green singles victory over Corey Pavin.
Prior to that, the best European rookie showing had come from José Maria Olazábal in 1987 and Paul Way four years earlier.
At Muirfield Village in Ohio in 1987, Olazábal struck up what would become one of the most enduring partnerships in Ryder Cup history with Severiano Ballesteros and won three points on the way to Europe's memorable 13-11 victory.
At PGA National in Florida in 1983, although the result was not to Europe's liking, the performance of rookie Paul Way certainly was, the Englishman reveling in the limelight and taking three and a half points out of five on his debut, including a superb 2 and 1 singles victory over this year's American captain Curtis Strange.
This year seven rookies will be in action, four representing Europe and three for the United States. Niclas Fasth, Pierre Fulke, Paul McGinley and Phillip Price will make their debuts for the European team while Stewart Cink, David Toms and Scott Verplank will be representing the United States for the first time. All will be nervous and apprehensive but all will be keen to play their part in one of the greatest sporting events on the planet.
EUROPEAN ROOKIES FROM 1979-1999 (GENERAL RECORD)
| PLAYERS | YEAR | MATCHES PLAYED | WON | LOST | HALVED | TOTAL | | Antonio Garrido | 1979 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | | Severiano Ballesteros | 1979 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | | Des Smyth | 1979 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | | Sandy Lyle | 1979 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1˝ | | Michael King | 1979 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Bernhard Langer | 1981 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1˝ | | Manuel Pinero | 1981 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | | Sam Torrance | 1981 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ˝ | | José Maria Cańizares | 1981 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | | Paul Way | 1983 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3˝ | | Brian Waites | 1983 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | | Ian Woosnam | 1983 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ˝ | | Gordon J Brand | 1983 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | José Rivero | 1985 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | | José Maria Olazábal | 1987 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | | Gordon Brand Jnr | 1987 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1˝ | | Ronan Rafferty | 1989 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | | David Gilford | 1991 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ˝ | | Colin Montgomerie | 1991 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1˝ | | David Feherty | 1991 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1˝ | | Steven Richardson | 1991 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | | Paul Broadhurst | 1991 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | | Peter Baker | 1993 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | | Barry Lane | 1993 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | | Costantino Rocca | 1993 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | | Joakim Haeggman | 1993 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | | Per-Ulrik Johansson | 1995 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | | Philip Walton | 1995 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | | Lee Westwood | 1997 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | | Jesper Parnevik | 1997 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | | Ignacio Garrido | 1997 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1˝ | | Darren Clarke | 1997 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | | Thomas Björn | 1997 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1˝ | | Paul Lawrie | 1999 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3˝ | | Sergio Garcia | 1999 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3˝ | | Miguel Angel Jiménez | 1999 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1˝ | | | Padraig Harrington | 1999 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1˝ | | Jarmo Sandelin | 1999 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Jean Van de Velde | 1999 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Andrew Coltart | 1999 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Phil Mickelson
Paul Azinger
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