The Ryder Cup is a golf trophy contested
biennially in an event officially called
the Ryder Cup Matches by teams from
Europe and the United States. The Ryder
Cup was first competed for in 1927,
with the US competing against Great
Britain. After nearly 40 years of US
dominance (Britain won only once between
1935 and 1973) it was extended to Britain
and Ireland in 1973 and then Europe
in 1979, which made the Cup considerably
more competitive. Currently, the Ryder
Cup Matches are jointly administered
by the PGA of America and the PGA European
Tour.
The Ryder Cup Matches involve various
match play matches between players
selected from two teams of 12. In
2002, those games consisted of 8 foursomes
matches, 8 four ball matches and 12
singles matches. The winner of each
match scores a point for their team,
with ½ a point each for any
match that is tied after 18 holes.
A foursomes match is a competition
between two teams of two golfers.
The golfers on the same team take
alternate shots throughout the match,
with the same ball. Each hole is won
by the team that completes the hole
in the fewest shots. A four ball match
is a competition between two teams
of two golfers. All four golfers play
their own ball throughout the round.
Each hole is won by the team whose
individual golfer had the lowest score.
A singles match is a standard match
play competition between two golfers.
The matches take place over three
days, Friday through Sunday. On the
Friday, there are four four ball matches
and four foursomes matches in the
afternoon. On the Saturday, the same
schedule repeats. On the Sunday, there
are twelve singles matches. Not all
players play on Friday and Saturday.
The captain can select any eight players
for each round.
There is some debate over who suggested
the idea for the Ryder Cup. James
Harnett, a journalist with Golf Illustrated
magazine appears to have proposed
a similar idea to the USPGA on December
15, 1920 and, having failed to attract
support, the idea was refloated by
a Sylvanus Germain, president of a
club in Toledo, the next year. This
resulted in an unofficial match in
1921, won 9–3 by the British,
and another in 1926, won 13½–1½
by Britain. A spectator at the second
game, Samuel Ryder, saw the potential
of the competition and persuaded the
two captains to reform their teams
in 1927 for the first official Cup.
Ryder, who donated a gold cup and
had agreed to pay £5 to each
of the winning team, attached his
name to the new competition.
Equivalent events are:
Solheim Cup — The women's equivalent
of the Ryder Cup, featuring the same
U.S. vs. Europe format.
President's Cup — Men's event,
held in odd-numbered years, with the
same format as the Ryder Cup, except
that the competing sides are a U.S.
side and an International side consisting
entirely of players whose citizenship
makes them ineligible for the Ryder
Cup.
Walker Cup — Event for amateur
men. Unlike the Ryder Cup, the Walker
Cup has never adopted a U.S.-Europe
format. The U.S. side is opposed by
a team drawn from Great Britain and
Ireland.
Curtis Cup — Women's amateur
event directly analogous to the Walker
Cup. Like the Walker Cup, the competition
format is U.S. vs. Great Britain and
Ireland.
UBS Cup — Men's event similar
to the Ryder Cup and President's Cup.
The competing sides are USA and Rest
of the World. Six golfers on each
side must be 50 or over, and the remaining
six must be in their forties.
The Seve Trophy — A European
professional men's event, founded
by Seve Ballesteros, that pits a side
from Great Britain and Ireland against
one from continental Europe.
The 1999 Ryder Cup featured a remarkable
comeback by the Americans. Down 10-6
after the first two days of play,
they went 8-3-1 in singles play to
take the title. The competition turned
on the 17th hole of a match between
American Justin Leonard and Spaniard
José Maria Olazábal.
Leonard holed a 45-foot putt to go
dormie-1, assuring at least a half
point and a U.S. victory (the Americans
needed 14.5 points to gain the cup
due to the Europeans' 1997 victory
at Valderrama). A wild celebration
ensured, with players and spectators
spilling out onto the green, and across
the line of the putt that Olazábal
had to halve the hole. There was considerable
bad blood after the match and some
of the European players complained
about the American galleries.
The competition from 1939 to 1945
were cancelled due to World War II.
The 2001 match was delayed for a year
following the September 11 attacks.
At the same time, it was decided to
hold the Ryder Cup in even-numbered
years instead of the past schedule
of odd-numbered years. The most recent
Ryder Cup was won by Europe with Scotsman
Colin Montgomerie sinking the winning
putt.
Results
Year Venue Victors Losers
2016 Hazeltine National GC, Chaska,
MN
2014 Gleneagles, Scotland
2012 Medinah CC, Medinah, IL
2010 Celtic Manor Resort, Newport,
Wales
2008 Valhalla GC, Louisville, KY
2006 The K Club, Straffan, Ireland
2004 Oakland Hills CC, Bloomfield
Township, MI Europe 18½ USA
9½
2002 The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield,
Eng Europe 15½ USA 12½
1999 The Country Club, Brookline,
MA USA 14½ Europe 13½
1997 Valderrama GC, Sotogrande, Spain
Europe 14½ USA 13½
1995 Oak Hill CC, Rochester, NY Europe
14½ USA 13½
1993 The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield,
Eng USA 15 Europe 13
1991 The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island,
SC USA 14½ Europe 13½
1989 The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield,
Eng Europe
USA 14
14
1987 Muirfield Village GC, Dublin,
OH Europe 15 USA 13
1985 The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield,
Eng Europe 16½ USA 11½
1983 PGA Ntnl GC, Palm Beach Gardens,
FL USA 14½ Europe 13½
1981 Walton Health GC, Surrey, England
USA 18½ Europe 9½
1979 The Greenbrier, White Sulphur
Springs, WV USA 17 Europe 11
1977 Royal Lytham & St. Annes,
England USA 12½ Britain &
Ireland 7½
1975 Laurel Valley GC, Ligonier, PA
USA 21 Britain & Ireland 11
1973 Muirfield, Scotland USA 19 Britain
& Ireland 13
1971 Old Warson CC, St. Louis, MO
USA 18½ Britain 13½
1969 Royal Birkdale GC, Southport,
Eng USA
Britain 16
16
1967 Champions GC, Houston, TX USA
23½ Britain 8½
1965 Royal Birkdale GC, Southport,
Eng USA 19½ Britain 12½
1963 East Lake CC, Atlanta, GA USA
23 Britain 9
1961 Royal Lytham & St. Annes,
England USA 14½ Britain 9½
1959 Eldorado CC, Palm Desert, CA
USA 8½ Britain 3½
1957 Lindrick GC, Rotherham, England
Britain 7½ USA 4½
1955 Thunderbird CC, Palm Springs,
CA USA 8 Britain 4
1953 Wentworth GC, Wentworth, England
USA 6½ Britain 5½
1951 Pinehurst CC, Pinehurst, NC USA
9½ Britain 2½
1949 Ganton GC, Scarborough, England
USA 7 Britain 5
1947 Portland GC, Portland, OR USA
11 Britain 1
1937 Southport & Ainsdale GC,
England USA 8 Britain 4
1935 Ridgewood CC, Ridgewood, NJ USA
9 Britain 3
1933 Southport & Ainsdale GC,
England Britain 6½ USA 5½
1931 Scioto CC, Columbus, OH USA 9
Britain 3
1929 Moortown GC, Leeds, England Britain
7 USA 5
1927 Worcester CC, Worcester, MA USA
9½ Britain 2½
NB: The 1969 and 1989 tournaments
were drawn, so the Cup remained with
the previous victors.
External Links
Official
Website
Ryder
Cup playing format explained
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