Ahead of the recent European Legends Cup, hosted by José María Olazábal, we sat down with the man himself to get the inside track on golf’s most compelling tournament.
On the Ryder Cup…
I’ve always said that the Ryder Cup is very close to my heart. It’s such a very special event, it’s just unique. You don’t play for yourself, you play for bigger things: friends, family, country, continent, for the dreams of many people that you really don’t know. Win or lose – because I’ve had both – nothing compares to it. The joy that you can experience in the locker room after the Ryder Cup is over is second to none. And it creates relationships that will last a lifetime.
As golfers, we dedicate ourselves individually to improving our games, to be as good as we can as individuals. But the Ryder Cup is a different beast. It’s a different tournament. The environment that you’re playing in is completely different. You have to let your guard down. You have to open yourself to your playing partners, to your team members, because the team is the most important thing that week. And that’s why the Ryder Cup is so special.
I’m proud of the long history I’ve had with the Ryder Cup. I’ve tried to always give my best and keep a united spirit within the team. To open myself to my teammates to bring out the best in me and also bring out the best in them. We play for honour, for respect, and that’s why the Ryder Cup is so special to me. I’ve been extremely privileged to have been on the golf course with a dear friend who has passed away – you know who I’m talking about – and I have lots of little moments that are going to be with me for the rest of my life.
On the challenge of winning away…
We are excited. The whole team is excited. We know we are going to be facing a huge challenge. But having said that, it’s a wonderful challenge to have and we are looking forward to it. We know that we’re going to have to bring our best to have a chance of winning over there.
We know how difficult it is to win away, but we’re going to give it a try. I think the team spirit is really good. We’re going to try to keep it like that. Why is it so hard to win away? Well, there’s a couple of things from my point of view. Obviously, the setup of the course is huge. The same way we prepare the golf course in our favour when we play the Ryder Cup in Europe, the same goes for when we play away. Team USA will prepare the golf course in their favour, and you know that they are more comfortable playing in certain conditions.
The other big thing is the atmosphere – the same way we had our crowds on our side in Rome, in New York the US team is going to be supported by the home crowd. And we know how loud they can be, especially in New York. Those two things combined, which people might think is just a little thing, can make a big difference to the outcome, and it’s so difficult to win over there.
The players are preparing themselves in the best way possible to handle that situation, but obviously it’s much easier said than done. You must stay focused on what you have to do, as you can only control what you do. You must be mentally prepared for that kind of atmosphere and I think the players are doing that. Hopefully they will handle those situations really well.
On the Miracle at Medinah…
It was obviously a huge comeback on the Sunday but everything started in the Saturday afternoon session. We were well down at one point, and to be honest, I thought the Ryder Cup was going to be over that day – but that’s the beauty of this game. You never know what, what’s going to happen. The last two matches, they turned the day completely. Especially the way Ian Poulter finished and the way he celebrated on 18. He made that huge putt and the whole team was just beside the green. He turned around with those huge eyes and that moment inspired the rest of the team.
That evening, when we had our meeting before going to bed, we talked about Brookline. And the amazing thing was, believe it or not, that even though we were four points behind, I looked at every player straight in the eyes and you could sense the spark. They believed that it was doable and they played with no fear. And what they did on that Sunday was amazing. I mean, to come back from four points down, especially away from home, that was really special. I will always cherish that moment. It’s one of the best moments of my life as a golf professional and a very unique, experience.
You know that as captain, you only have one shot , so it was the icing on the cake for me. All I can say is that I’ve always been thankful to those 12 men and the vice-captains, for what they did that week. My career and my life would not be the same without that victory.
On Seve…
I’m not sure I have a definitive answer of why Seve and I worked together so well as a pair, but I just felt really comfortable playing with him. He took me under his wing when I was 17 and the chemistry was there. We come from similar backgrounds, very humble beginnings, and I think he saw a bit of him in me in that regard. We also had similar games. We were not all that great of the tee but our short game was really good and the play was solid. So, we relied on that and we trusted each other on the golf course 100%. He never gave up and his will to win was incredible.
My first Ryder Cup was Muirfield Village in 1987, and I was very nervous. We were playing foursomes against Larry Nelson and Payne Stewart. The ninth hole is a par four, trees left and right, and there is a little creek that goes across the front of the green. We’re on the tee and he says I’m going to hit a little cut driver, so I can hit it easy. He hits it way right, in the middle of the trees, no escape. Larry hits straight as an arrow, middle of the fairway.
I kept on looking at it to see if I could see any gap but I couldn’t. Only option was a massive cut through a tiny gap but the water is in play. Seve just put his hand on my shoulder and said no need for that. Chip it out onto the fairway and give me a 90-metre shot. So I hit a chip with a 7-iron and I walk down to Seve and he says it’s perfect, 91 to the hole. So he’s standing next to me, and obviously the U.S. team is ready to hit the second shot, and he looks at me and says, by the way, we’re going to win this hole. And I’m thinking, come on. These guys have a 9-iron in their hands, we still have to hit our third shot from 91m from the hole.
So, they hit the second shot and the ball starts just left of target, it starts fading a little bit and the ball pitches on the edge of the green, kicks right and starts to trickle down the slope towards the water. And as the ball is rolling on the slope, he gave me a little nudge and says, what did I tell you? We’re going to win this hole. Then he hits a sand wedge to three feet and we make four and win it. And that’s why I’ve always said that I’ve been very privileged to play Ryder Cup. It’s all about fighting for every single shot, showing that fighting spirit.
Olazábal played 7 times in the Ryder Cup, earning 20.5 points, including once as Captain and five times as Vice-Captain, and formed the most successful partnership in Ryder Cup history with Seve Ballesteros, securing 12 points from 15 matches together.
