Hogan came off much the better of the two in the team introductions during the pre-match dinner. Rees spoke first, naming each member of his team and listing their achievements man by man. Sometimes, alas, there wasn't very much to tell; none of his players had won a major championship and only two, David Thomas and Christy O'Connor, had come close -- in the Open Championship. Then came Hogan's turn. He asked his team to rise to their feet and then said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, the finest golfers in the world'. And then they all sat down again. Jack Nicklaus still wasn't in the team, despite having won two U.S. Opens, one British Open, one U.S. PGA and three Masters; the rules of the U.S. PGA would not allow him to participate.

Britain had a potential new star in the team in Tony Jacklin, who had become a household name not so much by winning the Dunlop Masters at Royal St George's but by holing in one at the 16th under the eyes of the television cameras. It helped him to a final round of 64.

Mark McCormack put the British prospects very much in focus when he wrote, "Americans playing on their home ground are no more likely to lose to the British than Boston is likely to apologize for the tea party."

Hogan was a disciplinarian; he decreed that his team must be in bed by 10:30 p.m. and that they should attend no social events. He decided, that since it was optional, they should all use the small British ball. If they preferred not to, he declared, they hadn't enough sense to be in the team anyway. Watching his team on the practice ground at Champions, he remarked, "I've never seen so many god-awful shots in my life." What he thought about the British players is not recorded. Arnold Palmer arrived in his personal jet and immediately objected to the idea of using the small 1.62 ball. Hogan's reply was, "Who said you were playing?."

Unlike Dai Rees, who asked everyone's opinions about, for example, who should be paired in foursomes or fourballs and what the singles order should be, Hogan made his decisions alone. And he never explained his reasons. The team loved him; they knew just where they were with Hogan and what they had to do: win. Those that lost in the morning could expect a "rest" in the afternoon -- but not too many Americans lost at Houston.

There was one successful British pairing in morning and afternoon foursomes -- David Thomas and the young Tony Jacklin. They won twice, first against Doug Sanders and Gay Brewer and in the afternoon against Gene Littler and Al Geiberger. The best Britain could manage in the remaining six matches was one half. With two days still to go, the end result was virtually a foregone conclusion. Humiliation followed in the eight four-balls. This time, in their two matches, the successful Thomas-Jacklin pairing managed just one halved game. In terms of the total British performance this almost ranked as a glittering success. That half, coming in the last match of the afternoon, prevented a clean sweep by the United States and at the end of the day they led by 10 points.

In the singles, Neil Coles, who because of a fear of flying had taken a weary eight days to make the journey to the Champions, had a good day, beating Doug Sanders twice. The rising Tony Jacklin, however, sank in both his games. Bernard Hunt, who twice stepped on to the last tee dormie 1 up, lost the hole both times with bogeys. This was almost as bad as one freak happening in the previous day's four-balls; Hugh Boyle and George Will were 4 up on Palmer and Boros after an outward nine in 30. Boyle was then the only player on the 10th green in two. He 3-putted, the United States won the hole and then fired some birdies of their own.

After the match, with its 23 1/2-8 1/2 scoreline, the post-mortems began. The British lagged their putts, the U.S. banged them at the hole and seemed confident -- and successful -- in holing the 4- or 5-footers they often had back. This boldness seemed to run right through American play. You had to get the birdies to win on the U.S. Tour; in Britain a more cautious approach seemed to bring rewards.

Again there were discussions about a formula, which would produce a team to give the Americans a run for their money. The gap between standards of play was widening, not narrowing as had once been hoped. It might help if Bob Charles of New Zealand and Peter Thomson, Bruce Devlin, Bruce Crampton and other Australians could be brought in to the British side. It was still assumed that the inclusion of Continental players would do little to strengthen the team. The British captain, Dai Rees, thought that reducing the team numbers to eight might help to strengthen the side because while Britain might have a handful of good players there were always a couple, at least, who performed well below international standards. He felt improvement of wedge technique would also help. Players should stop flicking at the ball with their hands and develop a method where the knees flowed with the stroke, a style introduced by Byron Nelson a quarter of a century earlier. Some British players, Rees included, thought the American size 1.68 ball should become compulsory in British tournaments. Because the small ball does not veer to left and right as drastically when mis-hit, British players concentrated on trying to hit it straight. Americans, instead, aimed to draw or fade the ball, according to taste, and this brought a more consistent and effective pattern to their play.

Commonwealth players were not introduced to Ryder Cup play, but action was taken over the 1.68 ball. The PGA announced that it would be used in tournament play in 1968.

Morning Foursomes
Billy Casper/Julius Boros (US) vs. Brian Huggett/George Will (GB), halved

Arnold Palmer/Gardner Dickinson (US) d. Peter Alliss/Christy O'Connor Sr. (GB), 2 and 1

Tony Jacklin/Dave Thomas (GB) d. Doug Sanders/Gay Brewer (US), 4 and 3

Bobby Nichols/Johnny Pott (US) d. Bernard Hunt/Neil Coles (GB), 6 and 5

Afternoon Foursomes
Billy Casper/Julius Boros (US) d. Brian Huggett/George Will (GB), 1 up

Gardner Dickinson/Arnold Palmer (US) d. Malcolm Gregson/Hugh Boyle (GB), 5 and 4

Tony Jacklin/Dave Thomas (GB) d. Gene Littler/Al Geiberger (US), 3 and 2

Bobby Nichols/Johnny Pott (US) d. Peter Alliss/Christy O'Connor Sr. (GB), 2 and 1

United States 5.5, Britain 2.5

DAY TWO

Morning Four-Balls
Billy Casper/Gay Brewer (US) d. Peter Alliss/Christy O'Connor Sr. (GB), 3 and 2

Bobby Nichols/Johnny Pott (US) d. Bernard Hunt/Neil Coles (GB), 1 up

Gene Littler/Al Geiberger (US) d. Tony Jacklin/Dave Thomas (GB), 1 up

Gardner Dickinson/Doug Sanders (US) d. Brian Huggett/George Will (GB), 3 and 2

Afternoon Four-Balls
Billy Casper/Gay Brewer (US) d. Bernard Hunt/Neil Coles (GB), 5 and 3

Gardner Dickinson/Doug Sanders (US) d. Peter Alliss/Malcolm Gregson (GB), 3 and 2

Arnold Palmer/Julius Boros (US) d. George Will/Hugh Boyle (GB), 1 up

Gene Littler/Al Geiberger (US) vs. Tony Jacklin/Dave Thomas (GB), halved

United States 13, Britain 3

DAY THREE

Morning Singles
Gay Brewer (US) d. Hugh Boyle (GB), 4 and 3

Billy Casper (US) d. Peter Alliss (GB), 2 and 1

Arnold Palmer (US) d. Tony Jacklin (GB), 3 and 2

Brian Huggett (GB) d. Julius Boros (US), 1 up

Neil Coles (GB) d. Doug Sanders (US), 2 and 1

Al Geiberger (US) d. Malcolm Gregson (GB), 4 and 2

Gene Littler (US) vs. Dave Thomas (GB), halved

Bobby Nichols (US) vs. Bernard Hunt (GB), halved

Afternoon Singles
Arnold Palmer (US) d. Brian Huggett (GB), 5 and 3

Peter Alliss (GB) d. Gay Brewer (US), 2 and 1

Gardner Dickinson (US) d. Tony Jacklin (GB), 3 and 2

Bobby Nichols (US) d. Christy O'Connor Sr. (GB), 3 and 2

Johnny Pott (US) d. George Will (GB), 3 and 1

Al Geiberger (US) d. Malcolm Gregson (GB), 2 and 1

Julius Boros (US) vs. Bernard Hunt (GB), halved

Neil Coles (GB) d. Doug Sanders (US), 2 and 1

United States 23.5, Britain 8.5