In 1969 Britain had the services of a man well used to the big ball -- Tony Jacklin. He had won a tournament in America in 1968 and in 1969 had become the first British player to win the Open Championship since Max Faulkner at Royal Portrush in 1951.

To match Britain's new star, the United States fielded Jack Nicklaus for the first time, more than seven years after he had won his first Tour event, the 1962 U.S. Open. However, since the U.S. team was selected on the basis of players' performances over two years, it did not include either the current Masters or U.S. Open holders, respectively George Archer and Orville Moody. As neither of them was in the superstar bracket the team was not weakened.

The British had changed their selection process to a compromise; six men were picked because of their tournament performances and the remaining six were chosen by team captain Eric Brown, Dai Rees and Tom Haliburton. They selected young men; besides Jacklin there were Maurice Bembridge, Brian Barnes, Peter Townsend (then considered as promising a player as Jacklin) and Bernard Gallacher. The Americans had generally been competing in tournaments for a long time but were virtually unknown in Britain. Two, Ken Still and Dave Hill, were to make an impression on British spectators.

Royal Birkdale was the venue for the 1969 competition and, sticking to its recent policy of asking elder statesmen to captain their teams, the U.S. PGA put forward Sam Snead. The British captain, Eric Brown, made an immediate impact when he instructed his players not to help look for U.S. balls in the rough. He pointed out that looking for golf balls was tiring and that one could also be penalized for accidentally treading on an opponent's ball. On the first point, he may have been right, if discourteous, but he was wrong on the rules.

As the first foursomes match went out in the morning, the weather was thought to favor the United States because there was not a breath of wind. Brown had put experience at the head and tail of his line-up, with youth in the middle. Coles and Huggett began against Ray Floyd and Miller Barber. Though down early on, the English pair leveled on the 9th, held it, and then suddenly the match was theirs as they won the 13th, 14th and 15th.

Gallacher and Bembridge were faced by birdies from Trevino and Still on the 2nd and 3rd but leveled on the 8th and went ahead on the 10th. The first of several incidents involving Ken Still came on the 13th when Bembridge, about to drive, asked Still to move out of his line of vision. The American responded by making a performance of moving other players and caddies from where they stood. When it was Still's turn to drive, he hooked his tee shot into the rough and from there Trevino moved it under the lip of a bunker. When Still attempted to force the ball out, it appeared to strike his shoulder -- Trevino thought so but Still didn't reply to his query. Trevino made up his own mind and told Still to 'pick it up'. (Though Trevino was a new star in golf, he immediately qualified for Ryder Cup selection because, unlike Nicklaus, he had served his time as a PGA member.)

That match also went to Britain but the best play from any pairing came from Jacklin and Townsend in the third match, playing Dave Hill and Tommy Aaron. They quickly went 2 up and the Americans did well to hang on until the 17th. At this hole of just over five hundred yards, Townsend lashed a 3-wood to a couple of yards and Jacklin holed the eagle putt for a 3 and 1 victory. They were 7 under par at that point, needing a par at the last for a 66.

Bringing up the rear, the old firm of A1liss and O'Connor almost made it a clean sweep. With never more than a hole in it either away, the British squared with a 2 on the 14th and the remaining holes were halved.

From the British point of view, this run of success was like Gleneagles 1921, Wentworth 1926 and Ganton 1949. Was it too good to last? The afternoon did indeed go less well. Sam Snead's language to his men was reportedly ripe at lunch and they responded.

Although Neil Coles and Brian Huggett were quickly 2 up against Dave Hill and Tommy Aaron, the Americans had reversed the position at the turn. But the British squared at the 536-yard 15th, winning with a 6 to an American 7. The game remained level to the last hole where Hill's shortish putt for a birdie 4 ran round the cup and eventually fell in. The British took 5. The second match also went to the United States.

Bernard Gallacher and Maurice Bembridge were up against the best U.S. player, Lee Trevino, and Gene Littler. The British got into a one-hole lead at the 5th with a birdie but the Americans immediately came back by winning three holes in a row. The British, however, gave themselves a chance right at the end by winning the 17th and going to the last just 1 down. Alas, Gallacher then drove into the rough and that was about that.

Then came the young stars, Open champion Tony Jacklin and Peter Townsend facing Billy Casper and Frank Beard. The British pair were down or no better than level all the way but took a lead on the 17th for the first time. Both pairs birdied the last, with Townsend floating a pitch shot stone dead.

In the last match, Bernard Hunt and Peter Butler, playing debutant Jack Nicklaus and Dan Sikes, were 1 down after the 4th and all the holes were then halved until the 16th, which the British pair won in par. Both pairs then took unimpressive 6s on the 510-yard 17th and Nicklaus followed up by hooking his drive into the rough. His partner forced it out near the green and Nicklaus wedged to a couple of feet with the British about eight yards away, also in 3: match to the United States.

Though Britain led at the end of the first day by a point, the Americans had stemmed a tide that might have flowed strongly against them in the afternoon. Jacklin and Townsend, with two victories, were the best pairing on either side.

For the second day's four-balls, captain Eric Brown decided to split his successful partnership -- a decision many thought absurd. His reasoning was that a Jacklin/Townsend pairing meant that his best eggs were in one basket. The other point of view was that he'd broken up a pairing who felt they could beat the world. Happily for Brown, Jacklin was in such good form during the 1969 Ryder Cup that any partner would have suited him in fourball play. Playing last in the morning with Neil Coles, Jacklin put Britain into a 6-4 lead and, with the same partner in the afternoon, halved. Townsend won with Christy O'Connor and lost with Peter Butler.

As play began on the second day, the air was again still as O'Connor and Townsend went out against Dave Hill and Dale Douglass. In an up-and-down struggle in a low-scoring match, the key was the British finish. Though they dropped a stroke on the 14th, a par 3, they were 6 under par on the other back nine holes, with birdies on three of the par 5s and an eagle on another. Even so, they won by only the narrow margin of 1 up.

The second match was halved and the third went to the United States, with Brian Barnes and Peter Alliss, who had not dropped a shot on any hole but were always behind, managing to level on the 15th. Trevino then sank a long putt on the 17th to snatch the lead back and both pairings then birdied the last.

The best scoring came in the last match out. Both teams were out in 32 and the match square. In the end, a Coles 4 on the 510-yard 17th was the difference.

The British now led 6-4. Sam Snead, who had not played Nicklaus in the morning foursomes on the first day, dropped him from the afternoon fourballs. In this session, the United States came back once again. They won the first two matches out and the remaining two were halved.

One of the worst incidents ever in the Ryder Cup took place in the afternoon match between Brian Huggett and Bernard Gallacher of Britain and Dave Hill and Ken Still. Even so, it was hardly serious, although enough harsh words were spoken for officials and fellow team members to make their way toward the quartet to calm the frayed tempers.

The trouble began on the 7th green when Huggett pointed out that Hill had putted out of turn when he knocked a fairly short second putt into the hole. Meanwhile Ken Still, because he could not improve the four-ball score, had picked up his own ball. Thinking the hole had been awarded to Britain, he swept off to the next tee shouting, 'Hell, if you want to win this badly you can have the hole'.

In effect, the American pair had conceded the hole although Hill's ball could have been replaced. Still later said that the referee had announced, 'Loss of hole' at some point in the confusion. As the match moved away down the 8th, Still had words with the referee, and Huggett said his piece to Still. Many in the crowd heard what was said and began to boo as Dai Rees tried to calm the Huggett/Still dispute. More was to follow. On the very next green, Still sent his first putt past the hole and decided to putt out; he thought he had the chance to show his partner the line to the hole. Bernard Gallacher, baby of the British side, prevented this, legitimately, by conceding Still's putt and picking his ball up. Ken Still then claimed he should not have touched an American ball and had therefore forfeited the hole, which was incorrect. Eventually, Dave Hill holed for his birdie to win the hole and bowed ironically to the crowd. This put the U.S. 2 up once more and they went further ahead on the 9th, Britain came back, however, by winning both the 11th and 13th. The American pair had the last word with their clubs. Dave Hill struck two superb shots to the 510-yard 17th and holed his eagle putt for a 2 and 1 victory. Hill wouldn't shake hands with the referee but Still later apologized for losing his self-control.

Besides the U.S. win in this match, Billy Casper and Frank Beard had won the first game out as a result of a stronger finish and the other two matches were halved. After two days, the teams were level at 8 points each. Tony Jacklin had been involved in three of those wins and a halved match. Surprisingly, after Nicklaus's long-delayed debut, Sam Snead had played him in only two of the matches -- perhaps he wanted him fresh for the last day where he sent him out last of his eight singles players both morning and afternoon. To lead off, he used Trevino and Hill.

Peter Alliss played his last Ryder Cup match at number one against Trevino. Alliss took the first two holes with birdies but Trevino produced a spurt of his own to go ahead on the 10th and eventually won by 2 and 1. Alliss asked to be dropped for the afternoon; although he had been 2 under par at the end, his putting was poor. Meanwhile, Dave Hill had been producing the best golf of anyone. Against Peter Townsend he went to the turn in 32 with four birdies and went on to win by 5 and 4.

With the United States now leading for the first time, Neil Coles faced Tommy Aaron, a future Masters champion. After ten holes Coles was 2 up but then suddenly lost the next three holes. His finish, however, was remarkable; on the 16th he holed a birdie putt of about five yards to square and then followed by hitting a fairway wood dead at the 17th for an eagle. When both birdied the last, Coles was left 1 up. It was a vital victory; British spirits might otherwise have dropped when Barnes lost by the same margin although he had been 2 up with four to play. His opponent, Billy Casper, finished with four birdies in a row.

While this was happening, though, the tide had begun to turn. Christy O'Connor won well out on the course and Maurice Bembridge, 4 up with six to play, looked good for another point but Ken Still won four of the next five holes. On the last tee, the pair were level again but the British player finished with a birdie 4 while Still, surprisingly, took 6. Peter Butler held on to his lead over Ray Floyd but the match went to the final green and birdies from both players left Butler the winner by 1 up.

The star attraction was the match between the new Open champion, Tony Jacklin, and the greatest golfer of all -- Jack Nicklaus. After the first five holes had been halved, Jacklin took the lead with a par on the 533-yard 6th and went 3 up after the 12th. Although Nicklaus then produced an eagle, Jacklin replied with wins on both the 14th and 15th to win by the decisive margin of 4 and 3; Nicklaus had helped by missing three short putts during the round.

Britain had won the last four matches to take a 2-point lead into the afternoon series; they needed three wins and a halved game from the eight singles to win the Ryder Cup.

Players on both teams were now under strain and feeling tired and though many of the matches were close, the scoring was seldom particularly exciting. Dave Hill went out steadily against Barnes. That was good enough for a 3-up lead and, though he had four 5s on the homeward nine, he increased his lead to win by 4 and 2. Hill had had a very good Ryder Cup.

Gallacher, who had not played in the morning, was faced by Lee Trevino. Down twice early on, Gallacher was 1 up at the turn and 2 up after the 12th; pars at the 14th and 15th won him both holes and the match. The young Scot had been in full control of his long game and holed out tenaciously so that only 2 1/2 points were needed from the remaining six matches.

Miller Barber, playing Bembridge, went to the turn with no fireworks at all, just pars and one bogey. Bembridge, however, produced a shower of 5s and 6s to be out in 42 and the American then finished him off with a couple of birdies to win by 7 and 6. Two and a half points were still needed and it looked like one could be coming from Peter Butler when he went 3 up after four holes, but Dale Douglass squared at the 10th. From this point, however, Butler produced all pars or birdies -- until the par-4 16th where he took 5. Even so, that was good enough for a half and the match.

Britain needed just 1 1/2 points from O'Connor, Huggett, Coles and Jacklin.

Gene Littler was quickly ahead against O'Connor and, though the Irishman leveled, Littler was 3 up after a birdie 2 on the 12th. O'Connor won the next two holes but he made mistakes thereafter and Littler ended up the winner by 2 and 1. Neil Coles, often a man to bank on for a point in Ryder Cup singles, began 5-6 and struggled to the turn in 40 to be 2 down to Dan Sikes, who had birdied nothing and dropped shots here and there. The match eventually went to the United States by 4 and 3. This was a turning point -- suddenly a British victory depended on a win and a half from just two matches still out on the course: Brian Huggett versus Billy Casper and Tony Jacklin against Nicklaus.

The first of these was a close struggle all the way with first one man then the other leading. Huggett squared at the 16th, however, when Casper was twice bunkered. On the par-5 17th, Huggett had to struggle for a half when Casper chipped dead for his birdie, leaving Huggett having to hole from five feet. They went up the 18th still level and both found the green of this 513-yard hole in 2. After Casper had putted, Huggett had a putt of about ten yards to win his match but he was a little too bold, leaving himself four to five feet past. As he considered the problem, a great roar came to him from around the 17th green. Obviously, Huggett thought, Jacklin had won. Huggett needed this putt to win the Ryder Cup; he got it, shook hands with Billy Casper and collapsed in tears in the arms of his captain, Eric Brown, and Dai Rees. After all, he had just brought the Cup back to Britain. Or so he thought.

What had been going on behind? The Jacklin/Nicklaus match was an up-and-down struggle. The first three holes were halved in uninspiring figures before Nicklaus went into the lead with a 2 on the 212-yard 4th but Jacklin got back to level with a birdie of his own on the 6th and then briefly led with another on the 8th. Then a 6 on the 9th, to Nicklaus's bogey 5, saw the match square again and with some exchange of holes, it was level as they played the 16th where Jacklin dropped a shot to go behind. On the 17th, both drove well but Jacklin did not strike his 5-iron to this 510-yard hole any too well. Even so, he made the green, helped by a useful bounce, yet was a long way from the hole. Nicklaus flew in a soaring 7-iron much nearer the hole.

A few minutes later came the reason for the roar: Jacklin had holed his long putt, later measured at 55 feet, for an eagle 3. It must have been a blow for Nicklaus but he can take them just as well as he can hand them out -- he missed his medium length putt, though.

The time was about 6 o'clock and their match and the whole Ryder Cup series was level.

Both hit good tee shots and Nicklaus put his approach in the middle of the green, about five yards from the hole. Jacklin's 8-iron flew straight at the flag but ran on to the back of the green to settle perhaps ten feet further from the hole than Nicklaus'. As the light faded, Jacklin's putt ran straight at the hole but with never quite enough pace; it stopped a couple of feet short.

Nicklaus then tried to win the Ryder Cup outright for the United States; he hit the ball firmly at the hole, but a little off line, so that it eventually stopped some four feet past. Nicklaus took his time satisfying himself about the line and then, despite the memory of his poor short putting in the morning, found the middle of the hole. The United States would not lose the Ryder Cup and nor, it seemed, would Britain. Nicklaus strode straight over to Jacklin, gave him his putt, and said, 'I don't think you would have missed that putt but in these circumstances I would never give you the opportunity'.

The crowd warmed to Nicklaus, and Jacklin later sent him a letter of appreciation; Nicklaus' teammates were less enthusiastic.

The Cup did not return to the United States immediately; Sam Snead decided to leave it behind for 12 months. Eric Brown, with his enthusiasm for youth, thought that Britain might win in America in two years' time if young players carried on improving. He said, "I have no doubt that this result will stop further suggestions that future Ryder Cup teams should contain overseas players to even up the battle. This sort of talk has been killed forever." He was to be proved wrong.

DAY ONE

Morning Foursomes
Neil Coles/Brian Huggett (GB) d. Miller Barber/Ray Floyd (US), 3 and 2
Bernard Gallacher/Maurice Bembridge (GB) d. Lee Trevino/Ken Still (US), 2 and 1

Tony Jacklin/Peter Townsend (GB) d. Dave Hill/Tommy Aaron (US), 3 and 1

Billy Casper/Frank Beard (US) vs. Christy O'Connor Sr./Peter Alliss (GB), halved

Afternoon Foursomes
Dave Hill/Tommy Aaron (US) d. Neil Coles/Brian Huggett (GB), 1 up

Lee Trevino/Gene Littler (US) d. Bernard Gallacher/Maurice Bembridge 1 up

Tony Jacklin/Peter Townsend (GB) d. Billy Casper/Frank Beard (US), 1 up

Jack Nicklaus/Dan Sikes (US) d. Peter Butler/Bernard Hunt (E), 1 up

Britain 4.5, United States 3.5

DAY TWO

Morning Four-balls
Christy O'Connor Sr./Peter Townsend (E) d. Dave Hill/Dale Douglass (US), 1 up

Ray Floyd/Miller Barber (US) vs. Brian Huggett/Alex Caygill (E), halved

Lee Trevino/Gene Littler (US) d. Brian Barnes/Peter Alliss (E), 1 up

Tony Jacklin/Neil Coles (E) d. Jack Nicklaus/Dan Sikes (US), 1 up

Afternoon Four-balls
Billy Casper/Frank Beard (US) d. Peter Butler/Peter Townsend (E), 2 up

Dave Hill/Ken Still (US) d. Brian Huggett/Bernard Gallacher (E), 2 and 1

Tommy Aaron/Ray Floyd (US) vs. Maurice Bembridge/Bernard Hunt (E), halved

Lee Trevino/Miller Barber (US) vs. Tony Jacklin/Neil Coles (E), halved

Britain 8, United States 8

DAY THREE

Morning Singles
Lee Trevino (US) d. Peter Alliss (GB), 2 and 1

Dave Hill (US) d. Peter Townsend (GB), 5 and 4

Neil Coles (GB) d. Tommy Aaron (US), 1 up

Billy Casper (US) d. Brian Barnes (GB), 1 up

Christy O'Connor Sr. (GB) d. Frank Beard (US), 5 and 4

Maurice Bembridge (GB) d. Ken Still (US), 1 up

Peter Butler (GB) d. Ray Floyd (US), 1 up

Tony Jacklin (GB) d. Jack Nicklaus (US), 4 and 3

Afternoon Singles
Dave Hill (US) d. Brian Barnes (GB), 4 and 2

Bernard Gallacher (GB) d. Lee Trevino (US), 4 and 3

Miller Barber (US) d. Maurice Bembridge (GB), 7 and 6

Peter Butler (GB) d. Dale Douglass (US), 3 and 2

Dan Sikes (US) d. Neil Coles (GB), 4 and 3

Gene Littler (US) d. Christy O'Connor Sr (GB), 2 and 1.

Billy Casper (US) vs. Brian Huggett (GB), halved

Jack Nicklaus (US) vs. Tony Jacklin (GB), halved

United States 16, Britain 16
U.S. retains Ryder Cup