Colin Montgomerie’s Ryder Cup debut was a real baptism of fire.
Montgomerie made his first Ryder Cup appearance at Kiawah Island in 1991 – an event that became known as the ‘War on the Shore’.
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There were many unsavory incidents throughout the week in South Carolina, including a spat between Seve Ballesteros and Paul Azinger.
The Spaniard complained to officials that the Americans switched to a different ball compression mid-round, but no penalty was handed out.
Photo by PGA of America via Getty Images
After the Ryder Cup in 1991, Seve Ballesteros described the American team as “11 nice guys and Paul Azinger”.
The American team won the 1991 Ryder Cup in the end, and Colin Montgomerie was given a first-hand glimpse at just how much the competition meant to Seve and Bernhard Langer.
What Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer did after the 1991 Ryder Cup
While speaking on the Old Boys, New Balls – Beefy and Beaumont Podcast, Montgomerie opened up on what it was to be a part of the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island.
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“It was incredible to be part of that scene, you know, and knowing how important it was, especially to Seve,“ the Scot exclaimed.
“When we lost that game, when Langer missed his famous putt, you know, a seven-foot putt to win or to lose.
“You either win the Ryder Cup, or you lose it. I mean, God Almighty, incredible.
Photo by David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images
“And we’re all behind the green there, and then they came back into the locker room, and, the TV was on, and the celebrations in the water with Stockton, the captain.
“Then Sam Torrance turned the TV off. It was never ever turned on again, by the way, that TV.
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“We had Seve and Langer embracing each other in the corner of the locker room, and I’ll never forget this as long as I’m here. They were embracing each other, crying openly in front of each other.“
Montgomerie wanted more after getting a taste of Ryder Cup action
The Scot explained how much his Ryder Cup debut made him want to experience the competition as much as he possibly could.
“Knowing how much it meant, you know, to have lost the Ryder Cup, because we’d won it in ’85, ’87.
“We tied in ’89, so we hadn’t lost since ’83, and this was another one, and it was so close.
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“To see them, and what it meant to them. And I thought, ‘Right, I want more of this’.“
Of course, Montgomerie went on to represent Team Europe in eight Ryder Cups, and he is the fifth highest point scorer of all time for his team.
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