The Concession was derived from the 18th Ryder Cup held September 18-20, 1969, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. The competition ended in a tie at 16 points each, when America’s Jack Nicklaus conceded a missable three-foot putt to Britain’s Tony Jacklin at the 18th hole, in one of the most famous gestures of sportsmanship in all of sports. It was the first tie in Ryder Cup history, and the United States team retained the cup.
Eric Brown was the European Captain and Sam Stead was the U.S. Captain.
Playing in his first Ryder Cup at age 29, Nicklaus’s gesture became known as “The Concession” and marked the beginning of a lasting friendship between the two that has spanned nearly a half-century. It was the inspiration for the Concession Golf Club, in Bradenton, Fl., which was co-designed by Nicklaus and Jacklin.
U.S. Captain Sam Snead was furious that the chance of outright victory had been given away.
Note: Former LPGA number (1) ranked golfer Nellie Korda and her sister Jessica Korda are from Bradenton, FL. Nellie is a member of Concession Golf Club.
