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With the memories of Europe's stunning victory in the 1987 Ryder Cup at Jack Nicklaus' Muirfield Village still weighing on the Americans' minds, captain Ray Floyd led the U.S. squad to The Belfry for the '89 matches.

While the European squad retained much the same personnel as it had two years prior, the U.S. had five rookie players -- Fred Couples, Paul Azinger, Chip Beck, Ken Green and Mark McCumber. For his captain's picks, Floyd chose veterans Lanny Wadkins and five-time British Open winner Tom Watson.

European captain Tony Jacklin was coming off an emotional time in his life. Not long after he had captained the European win at Muirfield, Jacklin's wife, Vivian, had died in Spain. Within months, Jacklin had married again, this time to a Norwegian divorcee.

Floyd rankled some European feelings when, harking back to Ben Hogan in 1967, he introduced his team as "the 12 greatest golfers in the world." As the first morning unfolded, it appeared Floyd might just be correct in his assessment as the Americans took a surprising 3-1 lead after the foursomes.

Curtis Strange and Tom Kite earned a half against the strong European pairing of Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam in the opening match, then Payne Stewart and Wadkins beat Howard Clark and Mark James 1-up. Watson and Beck rallied from a three-hole deficit against the powerful twosome of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal to earn another tie. Then Mark Calcavecchia and Ken Green gained a 2 and 1 decision over Bernhard Langer and Ronan Rafferty, the Europeans' lone rookie.

The afternoon was an entirely different kettle of fish, as Europe swept the fourball matches to take a 5-3 lead after the first day. Ballesteros and Olazabal rebounded from their morning draw to overwhelm Watson and Mark O'Meara 6 and 5.

The second day saw the two sides evenly split the eight matches. Faldo and Woosnam started the day with a win, their second, but the U.S. followed with victories by Beck and Azinger and Calcavecchia and Green. Once again, Ballesteros and Olazabal gained another crucial point the they defeated Kite and Strange 1-up.

In the fourball matches, the U.S. quickly evened the Ryder Cup at 7-7 after Beck and Azinger handed Faldo and Woosnam a 2 and 1 loss, the pair's first loss after earning 2 1/2 points in their three previous matches, and Kite and McCumber took a 2 and 1 win over Langer and Jose Maria Canizares. But Clark and James gained a surprising 1-up win decision over Stewart and Strange to send the Europeans back out front. Ballesteros and Olazabal blitzed Calcavecchia and Green 4 and 2 to give Europe a two-point margin heading into singles play. In four matches, the Spaniards earned 3 1/2 of a possible 4 points.

With three of its top players going out first in the singles, the Europeans suddenly stumbled.

Ballesteros jumped out to a 2-up lead over Azinger, but faltered on the back nine while Azinger rallied to take a 1-up lead after 17 holes. Azinger put his drive in the water on the final hole, while Ballesteros put his tee shot in a fairway bunker. Following a drop, Azinger hit a 250-yard approach into a greenside bunker. Ballesteros failed to hit his bunker shot cleanly, and it splashed into the water in front of the green. The Spaniard holed a long bogey putt, but Azinger hit his bunker shot close and also made bogey, giving him a 1-up victory.

Beck followed with a 3 and 2 win over Langer, who lost his third straight match.

As quickly as the U.S. had forged another tie a 9-9, the Europeans came roaring back to win five of the next six matches (Kite's 8 and 7 mauling of Clark was the lone American win in the stretch). Olazabal started the run with a 1-up victory over Stewart when the American hit his tee shot into the water on the home hole.

Rafferty added a 1-up win over '89 British Open champion Calcavecchia. James gave Europe its 12th point with a 3 and 2 victory over O'Meara. Clinching the 13th and 14th points fell to a pair of European Tour veterans, Christy O'Connor Jr. and Canizares. O'Connor had played in just one previous match, a loss, but battled the younger Couples to a draw after 17 holes. Then the Irishman then hit one of the most memorable shots in Ryder Cup history, parking his 200-yard, 2-iron second shot within four or five feet of the hole. Couples missed the green with his 9-iron and made bogey. He picked up O'Connor's ball and conceded the match.

That left the crucial tying point to Canizares in his match against Green. With the match all square after 17 holes, both players were on the green in two, but some distance from the hole. Canizares left his first putt short of the hole. Green hit a poor first putt, missed his second and made bogey. Canizares calmly rolled his fourth shot into the hole, and Europe had secured a tie and retained the Ryder Cup.

McCumber, Watson, Wadkins and Strange won the final four matches to keep the match a tie, but the damage already had been done by the unlikely pair of O'Connor and Canizares.

Morning Foursomes
Curtis Strange/Tom Kite (US) vs. Nick Faldo/Ian Woosnam (E), halved

Payne Stewart/Lanny Wadkins (US) d. Howard Clark/Mark James (E), 1 up

Mark Calcavecchia/Ken Green (US) d. Bernhard Langer/Ronan Rafferty (E), 2 and 1

Tom Watson/Chip Beck (US) vs. Seve Ballesteros/Jose Maria Olazabal (E), halved

Afternoon Four-Balls
Seve Ballesteros/Jose Maria Olazabal (E) d. Tom Watson/Mark O'Meara (US), 6 and 5

Howard Clark/Mark James (E) d. Lanny Wadkins/Fred Couples (US), 3 and 2

Sam Torrance/Gordon Brand Jr. (E) d. Curtis Strange/Paul Azinger (US), 1 up

Nick Faldo/Ian Woosnam (E) d. Mark Calcavecchia/Mark McCumber (US), 2 up

Morning Four-somes
Chip Beck/Paul Azinger (US) d. Gordon Brand Jr./Sam Torrance (E), 4 and 3

Nick Faldo/Ian Woosnam (E) d. Lanny Wadkins/Payne Stewart (US), 3 and 2

Mark Calcavecchia/Ken Green (US) d. Ronan Rafferty/Christy O'Connor Jr. (E), 3 and 2

Seve Ballesteros/Jose Maria Olazabal (E) d. Curtis Strange/Tom Kite (US), 1 up

Afternoon Four-Balls
Chip Beck/Paul Azinger (US) d. Nick Faldo/Ian Woosnam (E), 2 and 1

Tom Kite/Mark McCumber (US) d. Bernhard Langer/Jose Maria Canizares (E), 2 and 1

Seve Ballesteros/Jose Maria Olazabal (E) d. Mark Calcavecchia/Ken Green (US), 4 and 2

Howard Clark/Mark James (E) d. Curtis Strange/Payne Stewart (US), 1 up

Singles
Tom Kite (US) d. Howard Clark (E), 8 and 7

Chip Beck (US) d. Bernhard Langer (E), 3 and 1

Paul Azinger (US) d. Seve Ballesteros (E), 1 up

Mark James (E) d. Mark O'Meara (US), 3 and 2

Jose Maria Olazabal (E) d. Payne Stewart (US), 1 up

Ronan Rafferty (E) d. Mark Calcavecchia (US), 1 up

Christy O'Connor Jr. (E) d. Fred Couples (US), 1 up

Jose Maria Canizares (E) d. Ken Green (US), 1 up

Tom Watson (US) d. Sam Torrance (E), 3 and 1

Mark McCumber (US) d. Gordon Brand Jr. (E), 1 up

Lanny Wadkins (US) d. Nick Faldo (E), 1 up

Curtis Strange (US) d. Ian Woosnam (E), 2 up