Fascinating story of how the Ryder Cup was won last time out

Called Inside Golf's Greatest Comeback, it is unquestionably the most fascinating fly-on-the-wall story to have been written about the Ryder Cup. Apart from several of the world's leading players, the cast includes the former Governor of Texas, George W Bush, who has since become the President of the United States.

In compiling the piece for their current issue, Golf Digest spoke to 37 key figures: all 11 surviving members of the victorious 1999 US Ryder Cup team (Payne Stewart has since died), European skipper Mark James and members of his team, players' wives and caddies, US skipper Ben Crenshaw and his assistants Bruce Lietzke and Bill Rogers and George W himself.

Among the issues confronted is a highly controversial situation in Andrew Coltart's clash with Tiger Woods, when the Scot's drive off the ninth tee couldn't be found. "A marshal was standing on it (Coltart's ball), no question of it," the player's caddie, Ricci Roberts insists, two years on.

Roberts went on: "He (the marshal) was right behind me. He goes 'Uh, there's a ball here. Titleist with a blue dot'. He was standing on it the whole time. The ball's 10 or 15 feet off the fairway, at least 15 yards from where we'd been looking. The ball is embedded and there's a footprint around the ball, so you tell me." Woods, who went three up there, eventually won by 3 and 2.

Crenshaw's wife, Julie, described the scene on the Saturday night when the American team faced a four-point deficit entering the final day's singles. "We watched the video, then Governor Bush came in," she said. "Ben had planned the Alamo speech (in 1836 Alamo commander William Barret Travis famously refused to surrender) three months before the Ryder Cup. We had no idea it would be so appropriate."

President Bush recalled: "I walked in the room and was surprised by the relaxed atmosphere of the players. As I read Travis's famous letter, the room was silent, the players and wives seemed to listen to every word. I finished with the 'victory or death', wished them God-speed, told them the country was pulling for them, and immediately left the room."

He went on: "I wasn't sure of the effect. Who knew what would happen? One man did: Ben Crenshaw. He never lost faith."

Eventually, we get to the 17th on Sunday afternoon. Firstly, we have an explanation from Padraig Harrington as to his play of the hole against Mark O'Meara. "I wasn't pacing yardage at all. I went up to have a look at the surface. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't check the condition of the green. If that cost me the match, what would I think afterwards. What? I was too lazy to walk 90 yards."

Minutes later, Justin Leonard sank the decisive putt from all of 50 feet. Hal Sutton recalled: "The main thing I remember is when the putt got to the top of the hill, I thought 'My God, hit the hole' because it was going eight feet past."

The vanquished Jose-Maria Olazabal's memory of the incident is: "Okay, he's got a good line, but if it doesn't go in, he's going to have a tricky putt coming back. When I saw the ball going in, the whole picture changed."

Phil Mickelson: "I turned and grabbed (wife) Amy's face and said 'We won!' I felt a little awkward about seeing guys go on the green. Fortunately it didn't last longer than a few seconds, but it did seem weird to celebrate a win when it wasn't exactly over yet." Stirring stuff. I wonder what lies in store for us in four weeks' time?

"If you're in the fairway you don't need grooves and if you're in the rough you don't want them."

Australian Steve Elkington, who has used the same irons for 16 years, without having them re-grooved.