NICK FALDO, 1995
Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y.
In a reprisal of the 1988 U.S. Open playoff won by Curtis Strange at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., Nick Faldo prevailed this time in a singles victory instrumental in lifting the European side to its second Ryder Cup Matches win on American soil. In the previous two days at Oak Hill, Faldo had twice reached the 18th hole all square, only to lose both matches.
This time, Strange held a clear advantage off the tee when Faldo sliced his tee shot into the right-hand ankle-deep rough and decided to lay up 95 yards short of the flag. With a much longer drive up the fairway, Strange hit his 3- iron approach fat and was short of the green in the nasty rough on the steep slope below the elevated green. Faldo then produced a stunning shot worthy of a gentleman who owns three Masters and three British Open titles, wedging to within four feet of the flag. Inspired by Faldo's crisp shot, Strange answered with a chip out of the tough rough to within six feet.
Putting first, Strange knew his reputation as a wild-card choice by U.S. Captain Lanny Wadkins was at stake. If he made it, he would justify his selection. Miss it, and the bogey-bogey-bogey finish would not only hold the wild-card pick up to scrutiny, but would go a long way toward letting Europe wrest the Ryder Cup away from the U.S. Strange's putt caught the right lip and stayed out. Faldo, so overcome with nerves that he had closed his eyes while Strange putted, managed to calm down and roll the ball into the center of the cup for a sensational come-from-behind win after trailing by three holes with three to play.
"That was the greatest scrambling par of my life. It was as good as Muirfield in '87," said Faldo. "Actually, that last putt was tougher because if I miss, I go four feet past and I have to start negotiating with Curtis. That scrambling par really turned the momentum in our (Europe's) favor and I think it was a crippling blow to the Americans. I think they had that win on the board when they saw Curtis was 3-up with three to play. But that's the Ryder Cup."