Forty Years On: How Jacklin Resurrected the Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup, golf’s most storied team competition, teetered on the brink of oblivion in 1983. Decades of unrelenting American dominance had drained the excitement from this biennial showdown between the United States and Great Britain & Ireland. Even the inclusion of Irish players in 1973 failed to stem the tide of defeats. By 1979, at the urging of legendary Jack Nicklaus, the team expanded to include all of Europe, yet the U.S. continued their romp—winning by six points in ’79 and nine in ’81. It wouldn’t have lasted another two matches, reflects Tony Jacklin, the pivotal captain who became the architect of the Ryder Cup’s revival.
Now 81, Jacklin returns to Bethpage Black for the 2025 Ryder Cup (September 26-28), marking 40 years since he delivered Europe’s defibrillating shock at The Belfry in 1985. He followed that triumph with a groundbreaking away win in 1987 at Muirfield Village. From a single victory in 40 years to two in a row, Jacklin’s leadership flipped the script on the Ryder Cup, injecting jeopardy, passion, and global appeal that endures today. Coverage kicks off with daily live text and clips on BBC Sport from 11:30 BST, radio on 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 12:00 BST, and TV highlights on iPlayer from midnight.
But Jacklin’s involvement was far from inevitable. The English trailblazer, who dominated the 1960s and ’70s with majors at The Open (1969) and U.S. Open (1970)—joining only Jim Barnes as an Englishman to claim both—had grown disillusioned after seven Ryder Cup appearances, six of which ended in lopsided losses. A 16-16 draw at Royal Birkdale in 1969, sealed by Nicklaus’s famous concession of Jacklin’s three-foot putt, was the exception. Debuting in 1967 with a 15-point thrashing, the 1970s offered no respite; margins never dipped below five points. By 1983, the Ryder Cup had lost its spark for him.
The Desperate State of the Ryder Cup in the Early 1980s
Frustration boiled over as the Ryder Cup entered the 1980s. The 1977 edition at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s, the last as Great Britain & Ireland, saw matches reduced to one session per day to avoid inevitable blowouts. Sir Nick Faldo, debuting with three wins, recalls: They didn’t want America so far ahead that the singles felt pointless. Yet the U.S. still prevailed 12½-7½.
Europe’s arrival in 1979, headlined by Seve Ballesteros’s Open win and Antonio Garrido, promised change but delivered more of the same. At The Greenbrier, confusion reigned—Faldo still has a plaque labeled the International Ryder Cup. Jacklin, in his final player outing, decried the shoestring budget: no personal caddies, mismatched uniforms, and a sense of apathy. Americans, meanwhile, traveled first-class and dressed sharply. Worse, disruptive antics from Mark James and Ken Brown—late to meetings, wrong attire—drew ire. European captain John Jacobs likened their look to a camping holiday. James fined £1,500 for unprofessional conduct, Brown £1,000 and a one-year ban, admitted his regret as a commentator today.
A U.S. side missing Nicklaus (who didn’t qualify) and Tom Watson (for his child’s birth), yet featuring eight rookies, still won 17-11. The 1981 Walton Heath rout was worse: 18½-9½ against a star-studded Europe, including 11 major winners. Jacklin and Ballesteros, fresh off his 1980 Masters triumph, were omitted—Ballesteros over appearance fee disputes. Seve was Tiger Woods before Tiger, Jacklin fumed. They weren’t interested in winning; just in fielding a team to get beaten.
Jacklin’s Bold Vision Revives the Ryder Cup
Six months before the 1983 PGA National clash in Florida, Europe lacked a captain. They turned to Jacklin. I was in shock, he told BBC Sport, sleeping on the offer before accepting. Viewing it as a chance to transform the Ryder Cup, he demanded upgrades: Concorde flights, premium apparel, a dedicated team room, and traveling caddies. All approved. Then came Ballesteros. At Southport’s Prince of Wales hotel—Ryder Cup heartland—Jacklin wooed the fiery Spaniard over breakfast. I can’t do it without you, he urged, outlining reforms. Ballesteros, venting frustrations from his 1979 debut (one win, four losses), agreed: OK, I’ll help.
Jacklin consulted Nicklaus on logistics but couldn’t tweak qualification—the top 12 automatic, no picks. Yet talent abounded: Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam alongside Ballesteros. The match tied 8-8 entering singles, a first. Faldo-Langer won three of four pairings; Ballesteros mentored rookie Paul Way to 2½ points, grumbling initially but embracing the father role. Seve had presence, but Paul was confident, Jacklin noted.
Singles saw Jacklin front-load stars; Nicklaus back-loaded. Ballesteros halved against Fuzzy Zoeller with a bunker 3-wood miracle. Langer, Faldo, Way, and Ken Brown won, tying 13-13. Lanny Wadkins’s 18th-hole chip and Watson’s 17th-green birdie edged the U.S. 14½-13½. We did everything but win, Jacklin said. But the vibe changed—this is what the Ryder Cup should be. Ballesteros framed it positively: Europe’s best U.S. showing ever.
Retained for 1985 at The Belfry, Jacklin analyzed the near-miss: No oversights; same strategy. Crowds swelled from 16,000 in 1981 to 90,000, signaling revived interest in the Ryder Cup. Europe stumbled early, trailing 3-1 after Friday foursomes. Faldo, amid swing tweaks, begged rest: Don’t play me—it’s the worst feeling failing the team. Jacklin obliged until singles, praising the selflessness: Ego stays outside the team room.
Patience paid off. Saturday morning’s fourballs turned on Craig Stadler’s 18-inch miss, gifting Lyle and Langer a half from two down. Score: 6-6. Europe won that session and dominated singles—Pinero, Way, Lyle, Langer victorious; Ballesteros halved; only Woosnam lost in the top eight. Sam Torrance’s iconic putt and fist-pump against Andy North sealed 16½-11½, Europe’s first win in 28 years.
The Lasting Legacy of Jacklin’s Ryder Cup Resurrection
That miss saved the Ryder Cup? Stadler quipped, but stats agree: Post-putt, Europe took 10½ of 16 points, sparking 11 wins in 17 editions since. Jacklin captained to two more victories, a tie, and one loss. Can’t believe it’s 40 years since that rooftop celebration, he smiles. It was the beginning—the Ryder Cup’s ramifications echo today.
Jacklin’s innovations—professionalism, unity, strategy—breathed life into the Ryder Cup, turning it from U.S. procession to global spectacle. As Bethpage Black hosts 2025, his legacy reminds us: True revival demands vision, grit, and heart. The Ryder Cup thrives because of him.
