Tony Jacklin had a 2-foot putt in his head-to-head match against Nicklaus, to force the first tie in the history of the Ryder Cup. But Nicklaus, whose American teammates had won 12 of the previous 13 Ryder Cups, gave him the putt.
After conceding, Nicklaus reportedly told Jacklin, “I don’t believe you would have missed, but I’d never give you the opportunity in these circumstances.”
The Americans retained the Cup, but the final score was 16-16.
