1969 Ryder Cup
| Dates | 18–20 September 1969 | ||||
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| Venue | Royal Birkdale Golf Club | ||||
| Location | Southport, England | ||||
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| United States retains the Ryder Cup | |||||
The 18th Ryder Cup Matches were held 18–20 September 1969 at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. The competition ended in a draw at 16 points each, when America's Jack Nicklaus conceded a missable three-foot (0.9 m) putt to Britain's Tony Jacklin at the 18th hole, in one of the most famous gestures of sportsmanship in all of sport. It was the first draw in Ryder Cup history, and the United States team retained the Cup.
The matches were marred by considerable acrimony and unsportsmanlike behavior by players on both sides. Britain's captain Eric Brown had instructed his players not to search for the opposition's ball if it ended up in the rough. American Ken Still, in the first-day foursomes, had deliberately and regularly stood too close to Briton Maurice Bembridge as he was putting. During one of the fourballs on the second day, both captains had to come out and calm down the warring players. This led to Nicklaus conceding Jacklin's final putt with the knowledge that the tournament would end in a draw.
Playing in his first Ryder Cup at age 29, Nicklaus' gesture became known as "the concession" and marked the beginning of a lasting friendship between the two that has spanned more than 40 years. It was the inspiration for The Concession Golf Club near Sarasota, Florida, which was co-designed by Nicklaus and Jacklin. The two were opposing captains in the competition in 1983 and 1987.
The U.S. team had only two players with previous Ryder Cup experience, Billy Casper and Gene Littler. On the previous four teams, Arnold Palmer did not participate in 1969, but returned in 1971 and 1973.
The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. From 1963 through 1971 the competition format was as follows:
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