Tony Jacklin gave British golf a significant boost by winning The Open Championship at Royal Lytham in 1969 and his superb form on Lancashire’s links continued in that year’s Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale.
The Englishman had dropped just half a point as the matches moved into the final set of singles.
GB&I held a 13-11 advantage, but their lead was eroded through the afternoon and it became increasingly apparent the contest would go to the wire, perhaps the closing match between Jacklin and Jack Nicklaus.
Quirks of the USPGA’s selection policy meant that Nicklaus was a seven-time Major Champion by the time he played in his first Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale, but the fate of that event would be decided by an iconic gesture from the Golden Bear.
Jacklin holed a lengthy putt for eagle on the 17th to draw level and, with the overall score at 15.5 each, the whole Cup rested on the last hole.
Both men found the green in two and Jacklin putted first, ending two feet short. The American raced his birdie effort past before calmly holing for par.
Then, Nicklaus conceded Jacklin’s putt meaning a halved game and a tied Ryder Cup.
It’s gone down as one of the most memorable Ryder Cup moments and it’s generally regarded as an act of supreme sportsmanship.
It was undoubtedly done with good will, but was it a crazy thing to do? Let’s look at both sides of the argument.
Great Sportsmanship
Ray Floyd shakes Jack Nicklaus’ hand at the 1969 Ryder Cup
(Image credit: Getty Images)
After picking up Jacklin’s marker, Nicklaus said to the Englishman something along the lines of, “I knew you wouldn’t miss, but I didn’t want to give you the opportunity to.”
Both men have always felt that the gesture was in the spirit of the event and both are proud of being part of that Ryder Cup moment. There’s even been a golf course named after it – The Concession Club in Florida.
There are a few reasons why it was great sportsmanship.
Firstly, it was a tremendous singles match and a half was the right result for Nicklaus and Jacklin. The Englishman had played so well all through the event and Nicklaus did not want that to be overshadowed by one short putt on the final green.
Secondly, the rest of the Ryder Cup had been fiery to say the least, so to cap it with an act of…
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