Columnist Victoria Sun: Comeback at Ryder Cup rates high for Lehman

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1999 | 10:20 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com

When you have accomplished as much as PGA Tour golfer Tom Lehman has, you would think he would have a tough time ranking the pinnacle of his success.

But he doesn't.

So where does he rank being a member of the 1999 U.S. Ryder Cup team that stunned Europe with the biggest comeback victory in Ryder Cup history at the Country Club at Brookline, Mass.?

"Right at the top," Lehman said at the 1999 PGA International Golf Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Better than winning the 1996 British Open? Or being named the 1996 PGA Tour Player of the Year? Or finishing in the top five at the U.S Open for three straight years?

"(Above) any of those things was being a member of this past Ryder Cup team," Lehman said. "I've never been a part of a group of people who have been so close since I was in high school.

"And it says a lot to get 12 players, a captain and two assistant captains to become so motivated to reach a common goal."

Added Lehman: "I think our play on Sunday really revealed what was in everybody's heart."

Before then, many were beginning to wonder if the U.S. team was like the tin man in "The Wizard of Oz" -- lacking heart. Later, scores of Europeans and even members of the European team clamored that the unruly Americans had too much spirit.

The Europeans had raced to a 6-2 lead on Friday but by the time Sunday rolled around, the momentum shifted.

Lehman was chosen by team captain Ben Crenshaw to play first, to set the tone for the Americans.

He defeated Lee Westwood 3 and 2. From there, the European players fell like dominoes.

"It was a compliment (playing first)," Lehman said. "Ben made a few comments to me in private about putting me first and it made me feel very good.

"I know from playing in the end that if you look up on the board and see the rest of your teammates doing well what encouragement, what a motivation that is. So I knew it was important for me to not just win my match, but to kind of you know, go one, two, three, four-up."

The American players won the next six matches. But few could have predicted what would happen four matches later.

On the 17th green, American Justin Leonard sank a 45-foot birdie putt to seal the victory.

Players, caddies and even players' wives surrounded Leonard in celebration, forcing European player Jose Maria Olazabal to wait until it was over before he continued play.

Because of the premature celebration, many European newspapers dubbed the team and its country "The United Slobs of America." Or worse.

"My reaction is I kind of shake my head," Lehman said. "It's really too bad, in my opinion. The exuberance of the American team and the exuberance of the crowd is something you should expect.

"Team events are just that way. When you get our team, which was heavily favored, being four points down and all but written off for being dead, then coming back on, you know, the biggest comeback day in the history of the Ryder Cup, you should expect some exuberance, jubilance and celebration."

But there was one thing Lehman would have done differently.

"I understand and totally agree that the 17th hole is something that should never have happened," he said. "We probably stepped over the edge by running out onto the green.

"I've actually written a letter to (European captain) Mark James, apologizing, to Jose Maria Olazabal, apologizing.

"But beyond that, it was great day for the American team. And I will never, ever apologize for it."

Following is a sampling of what was on display at the golf show:

* COOLEST GADGET: Golfwits and Compaq introduced a computer program that lets golfers track their every move, keep score, get statistics and much more. The program, called Golfwits Player, runs on palm-sized PCs that use Microsoft Windows CE technology.

After you download your home course onto the computer, you can take it with you for a round. It will tell you things such as the distance from the tee box to any spot on the course and your driving average.

There will be 1,000 courses available by the end of this year, and Golfwits expects 7,000 by the end of next year.

* FUN AND GAMES: Of the half dozen or so golf board games on the market, "Hole In One, The Game" looked fun and educational.

Among the things the game teaches are golf rules and etiquette, how to score a round of golf and the game's history.

"It's a family game," Hole In One Games president Kevin Ronchetto said. "The wide variety of questions are good for experienced golfers and even those who want to learn more about the game."

* CUTE COVERS: Winning Edge Designs has manufactured a variety of different club headcovers that include cartoon characters Betty Boop and Popeye. The headcovers are made of fabrics such as toy stuffed animal fur.

* GET A GRIP: The Perfect Grip is a molded plastic device featuring the imprint of PGA Tour player Mark O'Meara's grip. It fits perfectly over any set of clubs and comes in three sizes to fit just about any hand. The plastic is only 1/32 of an inch where the fingers grip the club, so it's hardly noticeable.