Nicklaus defends Cup share decision
US team captain Jack Nicklaus believes the joint decision to call off the President’s Cup match as a tie and share the trophy between the two teams would go down “as one of the best decisions in golfing history”.
Nicklaus, who was involved in one of the greatest acts of sportsmanship in the 1969 Ryder Cup, where he declined a winning putt rather than share the trophy with the European team, defied the rules to call off the play-off match between Ernie Els and Tiger Woods.
Nicklaus and International team captain Gary Player stepped in after the sudden-death play-off could not be decided in fading light after three tough holes and after some discussion, both sides decided to declare the tournament a tie.
The President’s Cup was sent into its first play-off option when Australian Robert Allenby squared with Davis Love III on the last hole to leave the teams deadlocked after four days of competition.
While initially it was chaos as neither team nor officials knew if it was legal to declare the tie as it was done, Nicklaus and Player stuck to their guns on the decision, and said afterwards it was a very popular one with the local supporters.
Nevertheless, Nicklaus said he would understand if some people did not like the decision which was made.
“I think some people will be upset with that decision,” he said afterwards.
“I think some people will probably pan Gary and me for the decision. They will be unhappy, as they were in 1969, but both Gary and I feel in our hearts - and I think both teams feel that was the right thing to do, and we stand by it.”
Nicklaus added that the reception they had received at the closing ceremony was hardly one of disdain for their call on the second green in fading light.
He also pointed out that both PGA Commissioner Tom Finchem and South African President Thabo Mbeki had praised their bravery in taking the decision.
“I think if you heard the public and the people out there at the presentation, they were not unhappy that both teams won. They were happy with what the decision was and the people enjoyed it. It was a very popular decision among the people here,” he added.
Nicklaus received much support from the players, including from Woods and his own veteran Love III, who fluffed a chip on the 18th which would have almost secured the victory for the US team after a magnificent fightback in the singles.
Love said: “I was down on the 18th tee and Mr Player came back up and started asking every one of our players ‘do you think this is right? Don’t you think this should be a tie. Don’t you think it’s too hard on Ernie and Tiger to have to do this?’
“And he went to David Toms and to myself and to Phil Mickelson and he went around. He didn’t come once, he came two or three times. Every time somebody would have a pressure putt, he said, ’this isn’t right.’
“And Jack was in total agreement with him. They were walking arm-in-arm. In a Ryder Cup, that would never happen,” Love continued. “And it shouldn’t end with Tiger or Ernie missing a putt in the dark.”
The Cup will be shared and will stay at each team’s base for one year before returning when the two sides meet again in two years time in the United States.
