On the heels of winning this year’s 2024 President Cup, let’s look back thirty-three years to September 29th, 1991 when Team USA defeated Team Europe at Pete Dye’s Kiawah Island Ocean Course.

Team USA won the match 14.5-13.5, but it came down to the last putt in the last match between Bernhard Langer and Hale Irwin. With Team USA leading 14-13 going into that last match, and Langer and Irwin tied going into the last hole, a tie or win by Irwin would mean the Cup goes to the USA–after having lost the last three Ryder Cups to Team Europe. A win on the 18th hole by Langer would mean that Team Europe would have won four Ryder Cups in a row.

After making a bogey on #18, Hale Irwin and his teammates watched nervously as Langer lined up a 6-foot downhill putt for par to win the match for Team Europe. Much to the delight of Team USA, Langer just missed the putt to the right side of the cup, and Team USA won the 1991 Ryder Cup, celebrating by jumping into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina!

Led by Fred Couples (3-1-1), Lanny Wadkins (3-1-1) and Payne Stewart (2-1-1), Team USA eked out a win over Team Europe in what was later monikered ‘The Ware by the Shore’. Despite outstanding play for Spaniards Seve Ballesteros (4-0-1) and Jose Maria Olazabal (3-1-1), Team Europe went home disappointed.

An interesting trivia tidbit – when Steve Pate was injured in a car accident during the tournament, he obviously couldn’t be chosen to participate in the doubles matches, and per Ryder Cup rules, his singles match would be automatically halved.

Relive all of the moments below…

Look back at Bernhard Langer’s missed putt to clinch the Ryder Cup for Team USA in 1991:

Full three-day review of the 1991 Ryder Cup at Pete Dye’s Kiawah Island Ocean Course: