King Juan Carlos I has received in audience, at the Zarzuela Palace, the three Spanish golfers members of the European Ryder Cup team: José Mari Olazábal, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Sergio García, protagonists together with their teammates of what is considered one of the greatest achievements of the sport, beating the United States team at Medinah Country Club, in Chicago.
Olazábal, Captain of the European Ryder Cup winning team, presented the trophy to His Majesty the King, accompanied by Jiménez and García, and gave him, on behalf of the players, a signed polo shirt like the ones they wore on Sunday, September 30, a date that will go down in the annals of golf.
S. M. the King greeted the three golfers and, after posing for the cameras, King Juan Carlos showed them into his office, where he talked with them for 40 minutes. Once the audience was over, the players moved to the facilities of the neighboring Somontes Golf to be interviewed by a team of European Tour Productions and comment on their impressions of the visit to the King.
José Mª Olazábal: “We have been talking about the Ryder Cup, about Spanish sport in general, about the spirit of the sport and the grit of the European team, about his golf… because His Majesty reached handicap 12. He told us that he did not have much time and, when he could, he would escape to play nine holes and leave immediately.
He made us feel very comfortable, it was a very relaxed conversation. He was very happy that we gave him the signed polo shirt on the famous 30th, which is now history, and he said he will keep it in his display cases.
He touched my heart when he mentioned Severiano, remembering how sad it was that he had left us, and also commented on what the Spanish players have contributed to the Ryder Cup, above all, the passion we have transmitted.
He has told us that he saw a lot of it on TV although not purely watching it in its entirety, but he has asked us to get the video for him and I will, of course, take care of sending it to him.
The King received me in ’94 when I won my first Masters at Augusta, when I came with the family. It’s been a few years! Then I came in a personal capacity and this time it has been very different: we have come on behalf of eleven other players, plus three other Vice Captains, the whole Ryder Cup team.
The fact that His Majesty has received us at La Zarzuela is special; there are emblematic places and this is one of them. The nice thing is that he receives us for what we have achieved together.
What Ian Poulter transmitted, especially on Saturday, reached the rest of his teammates. When we met in the evening it was reflected in the faces of the team, there was another spark, a different atmosphere that was key.
Saturday afternoon was key in the comeback, but on Sunday… I don’t know, there were so many things… Sergio coming back from his match was fundamental and when Martin Kaymer putts the door closes for the American team. There are still many nights when I go to bed and wake up thinking I’m in the middle of a match. Thanks to the 12 great guys, the Ryder Cup trophy will stay in Europe for two more years”.
Miguel Angel Jimenez: “The King has been interested in knowing some details of the Ryder Cup, he seemed very well informed. He asked us about Saturday’s anecdotes, knowing how important the last two points won that afternoon were.
We have said how we won and that we have never suffered as much as in this Ryder Cup! The first days, they putted from all sides and our putts did not go in, but in the end there was justice. The impressive thing has been the number of people who do not play golf and who have not moved from the couch in front of the TV, well glued with glue! This will serve to create more fans and more talk about this sport. This edition has been impressive, like no other.
Of course I would be proud and honored to be captain, but the next captaincy is going to be very close. The four of us who have helped “Vascorro” in Chicago will be nominated. The privilege of being Captain is so great, it is worth the suffering and all that it entails.
The 5 points won on Sunday in the first games gave the team the credibility to win. I told “Vascorro”: “don’t worry, we are going to win”. The score was 10 to 7…, another point, and another, we matched them and we were already 10 to 10… we passed them and we were 10 to 11… All the saints were on our side.
No, His Majesty the King has not offered me a cigar and I’ve been afraid to take one out” (ends Jiménez jokingly).
Sergio García: “It was the second time I went to La Zarzuela and it is always a special experience, very nice; this does not happen many times in your sporting career.
The King reminded me of the putt I putted to win my match, he was very knowledgeable about how it happened. He told us that if it had been the other way around, if we had gone with 10 points and they had gone with 6, it probably wouldn’t have been seen as much.
Ian Poulter was incredible, in this one and in all the ones he has played, he knows what the Ryder Cup means and he lives it. It’s nice to have someone like that in the team who can change the spirit in the hard moments.
If I had to choose just one moment, I don’t know very well… it’s difficult. When you’re on the course playing and in the middle of a match it’s completely different than when you watch it on television. I think the two points we won on Saturday afternoon were very important; also Poulter’s putt on 18, and Donald’s putt on 17… Although I can’t stop thinking about Justin Rose’s putts on Sunday, and Mickelson didn’t give him anything! And… not to mention Martin Kaymer’s putt on 18, it was incredible.
On Saturday, Chema (Olazábal) and I had a very good conversation with Martin; and on Sunday, when we were having breakfast together Martin and I told him: “if I could have a wish right now I would ask you to make the putt that would give us the Ryder Cup”. And he did.
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