magic moments - walton's glory (1995)
Walton salutes Ryder Cup victory.
By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent
On the opening two days of the match Walton had played only once, losing in the Saturday morning foursomes with Ian Woosnam against Loren Robert and Peter Jacobson. Europe trailed by two points entering the singles and the two rookies, Walton and Per-Ulrik Johansson, were put out last - Walton against Jay Haas and Johansson against Phil Mickelson. Walton knew that two things could happen - the Americans might be celebrating victory before his game came to the closing stretch. Or it might be the game on which everything hinged. It proved to be the latter. He led by three with three to play, but Haas holed a bunker shot to win the 16th and then won the 17th as well with a par to a bogey. Walton takes up the story. "There's pressure like you don't know. It's not fair on a human being really," he said. "It wasn't until I missed the putt on the 17th that I thought 'This is it'. "Walking to the next tee Sam Torrance gave me a terrible whack on the arse when I was not expecting it. It woke me up. I forgot what he said - just 'Come on Phil' or something. "Jay teed off first and hit a terrible shot into the trees left. My normal shot was a low little fade, but with all the people leaning over the ropes I would have had to aim it just over their heads to find the fairway. "I couldn't bring myself to do that, so it was inevitable I'd go right. I might have killed somebody otherwise. "Jay had no chance to reach the green from where I was and my five-wood came up in the rough just short of the green (he actually nearly stepped on it). "I only needed a half and after his third shot (it finished around 40 feet from the flag) it looked likely a five was going to be good enough for the half I needed. "I chipped up to about 12 feet and after he missed I rolled mine up dead. That was it and the first thing I think of is Bernard (Gallacher) picking me up on the 18th green. "I blame him for some of the back trouble I've had since! "It's a tough week - the toughest. But very enjoyable when you come out on top. "You need a strong heart for it. That pressure is unreal - I remember Bernhard Langer missing that putt in 1991 (at Kiawah Island) and then winning a tournament the following week. Only a German could do it - that mentality. "I've not spoken to Jay since. I've not had a chance to. It didn't go too well for me afterwards. I played okay in 1996, but in '97 it started to go downhill big-time. Disastrous." Walton lost his European Tour card, got it back at the qualifying school, but then fell off the circuit again. Haas, not afraid to admit he choked badly on the final hole, came back to earn another cap two years ago at the age of 50. He was put out in the penultimate singles again - against another Irishman in Padraig Harrington. But Europe's brilliant performance meant he never had the chance to make amends. Harrington won on the last green as well to complete the record-breaking rout. Walton, now 44, has made the halfway cut in only three of his last 24 European Tour appearances. But he will always be a Ryder Cup hero.
