Costantino Rocca's win over Tiger Woods nearly 30 years ago paved the way for this Ryder Cup in Rome


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GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — It's been nearly three decades since Costantino Rocca put Italian golf on the map and it's hard to imagine the Ryder Cup being held near Rome this week would have happened without him. Rocca tells The Associated Press that "30 years ago I wouldn't have even thought that I would achieve what I did." Rocca made a 60-foot birdie putt from the Valley of Sin at St. Andrews to force a playoff with John Daly at the 1995 British Open. He also had a front-row seat to history while paired with Tiger Woods in the final round of the 1997 Masters. And a career-defining singles victory over Woods later in '97 that helped Europe win the Ryder Cup.

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