Remembering the War on the Shore
The ‘War on the Shore’, as it came to be known, was one of the most controversial matches in the history of the Ryder Cup.
Kiawah Island staged the 1991 event and, following the coalition victory in the first Gulf War, it took on a stridently patriotic tone – something which caught the European contingent off guard.
With the American team donning camouflage hats, and the spectators getting involved in a way the three-day competition had not seen before, the dramatic ebb and flow of the event set up a thrilling finish.
Bernhard Langer had a putt for Europe to tie in his match against Hale Irwin, but the six footer on the 18th slid agonisingly by and the US reclaimed the Ryder Cup for the first time in six years.
Steve Carroll went to meet three of the leading protagonists in the drama – Irwin, Fred Couples and Colin Montgomerie – to get their take on what happened at Kiawah.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
