Sergio Garcia features in Europe's all-time Ryder Cup rookie displays
Tuesday 20 September 2016 07:49, UK
Europe will rely heavily on inexperience this month when they head to Minnesota chasing a fourth consecutive Ryder Cup triumph.
Half of Darren Clarke's side at Hazeltine will be Ryder Cup first-timers, the same number Colin Montgomerie had in his team at Celtic Manor in 2010 and the most in a European away side since seven featured in Massachusetts in 1999.
How will Clarke's newbies fare this time around? We look back at five of the best European Ryder Cup rookie performances…
Sir Nick Faldo - 1977 (W3)
In the final Ryder Cup tournament before players from continental Europe were allowed to compete, Faldo was the bright spark for the hosts in an otherwise dominant American victory.
While only one other British & Irish player managed to register more than one point from their matches, the future European captain won all three of his ties in the USA's 12.5-7.5 triumph.
Faldo teamed up with Peter Oosterhuis in both the opening-day foursomes, beating Raymond Floyd and Lou Graham, and the Friday fourballs - seeing off Floyd and Nicklaus 3-1 - to deliver the home side's only victories from the opening two days.
Despite suffering from glandular fever throughout the week, the 20-year-old then added a third win when he edged past Jack Nicklaus at the final hole. Faldo would go on to play the following 10 Ryder Cups, a European record still yet to be beaten.
Jose Maria Olazabal - 1987 (W3-L2)
The Spaniard played a key role in Europe's first ever win on foreign soil, forming the start of a dynamic partnership between him and compatriot Seve Ballesteros.
The duo ended Larry Nelson's 100 per cent Ryder Cup record when they defeated him and Payne Stewart 1UP in the morning foursomes, before adding another point for the visitors by defeating Curtis Strange and Tom Kite 2&1.
Another narrow victory early on Saturday, this time over Stewart and Ben Crenshaw at the 18th, gave Europe a five-point advantage heading in to the afternoon fourballs, where the pair's unbeaten run was ended.
A loss to Stewart in the Sunday singles didn't stop Europe claiming a 15-13 victory, with Olazabal reigniting his pairing with Ballesteros in the following three Ryder Cups.
Sergio Garcia - 1999 (W3-L1-H1)
The youngest player in Ryder Cup history couldn't prevent the USA snatching a narrow victory in the infamous "Battle of Brookline", but the 19-year-old delivered a memorable performance to end the tournament joint-top of the European scoring charts.
Garcia formed a formidable partnership with Sweden's Jesper Parnevik over the opening two days, remaining unbeaten in their four matches together to help Europe take a 10-6 lead in to the final day.
Having dispatched Tom Lehman and Tiger Woods 2&1 in the opening foursomes, the pair had impressed again to claim a narrow victory over Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk later in the day.
How the 1999 Ryder Cup Was Won
After extending their winning start by defeating Payne Stewart and Justin Leonard 3&2 early on Saturday, Garcia then drained a final-hole birdie in the fourballs to halve their match with David Duval and Davis Love III.
The Spaniard's only defeat came in the Sunday singles, where he never led on his way to a 3&2 loss against Jim Furyk, as the USA dominated the final day to triumph 14.5-13.5.
Paul Lawrie - 1999 (W3-L1-H1)
Two months on from his Open success at Carnoustie, Lawrie was one of four European players to deliver 3.5 points for Mark James' team but still end up on the losing side.
Lawrie and compatriot Colin Montgomerie didn't drop a shot on their way to a 3&2 foursomes win over Phil Mickelson and David Duval, before the pair halved their afternoon fourball when Love drained a 30-footer to birdie the final hole for him and Leonard.
The pair teamed up again on Saturday and suffered their first defeat in the foursomes when Jeff Maggert birdied the final two holes to see him and Hal Sutton prevail 1UP.
The Scots responded to defeat Woods and Pate 2&1 later in the day, with Lawrie then going on to make a fast start in the Sunday singles to quickly see off Maggert 4&3.
Justin Rose - 2008 (W3-L1)
The Englishman was the most successful of Sir Nick Faldo's four rookies in Kentucky, joining forces with friend Ian Poulter to deliver two points from their three matches together.
After the pair let a three-hole lead slip to lose 1UP against Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell, they bounced back to thrash Steve Stricker and Ben Curtis 4&2 in the afternoon fourballs.
Poulter and Rose won five of the first seven holes of their 4&3 Saturday foursomes victory over Cink and Campbell, although Faldo elected to play Graeme McDowell alongside Poulter instead of Rose for the afternoon fourball.
Ryder Cup 2008: Official Film
Rose prevailed again on his own to win his singles tie against Phil Mickelson with two holes to spare, but his points haul wasn't enough to prevent the USA taking the title 16.5-11.5.
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