The Ryder Cup is now less than a month away, and to celebrate the most unique event in golf, Golfshot is giving a lifetime membership to one lucky contestant. Head over to our Instagram, Facebook or TikTok for instructions on how to enter.
This event really needs no introduction, as it’s credited as one of the most patriotically charged sporting events in all of sports. Every two years, 24 of the best players from the United States and Europe play in a head-to-head match play competition. Not only does this create an extremely exciting competition between two powerhouse rivals, but it includes extreme drama and tension. There’s no money involved for the winners–just a shiny trophy, bragging rights, and a good ole’ fashioned champagne shower.
So how did the Ryder Cup start? Originally contested between Great Britain and the United States, the first official Ryder Cup took place in the United States at the Worcester Country Club in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1927. It wasn’t until 1979 in which the inclusion of continental European golfers was initiated. From then on, any player from Europe was eligible to join what is now referred to as “Team Europe.”
Since its inception, there have been 43 events. 1012 matches, and in that have had over 360 different players. Between those 43 events, 27 wins have been by the United States while the remaining 14 were won by Europe.
The Ryder Cup involves different match play competitions between 12 players selected from each of their respective teams, taking place from Friday to Sunday with a total of 28 matches being played. On Friday and Saturday, there are 4 fourball matches and 4 foursome matches each day, while on Sunday, there are 12 single matches where all of the team members play, pairing up vs a single member of the opposing team.
Forget normal scoring, the Ryder Cup uses a points system–to win a point, you have to win a match. To win a match, you have to win more holes than your opponent. It doesn’t necessarily matter how you win them (or how bad you lose them for that matter), but the first team to 14.5 points wins the cup.
Each team has a delegated captain. These captains are selected on the basis of their own professional experience and their experience in the Ryder Cup itself–The European Tour selects the captain for Team Europe, while the PGA of America chooses Team USA’s captain. Each captain is then able to pick his own assistants as well as the members of the team, however a majority of the players are automatically selected via the points list. The United States has delegated two-time major champion Zach Johnson as the captain, while Team Europe has appointed Luke Donald as their captain.
So, this all goes to say that the Ryder Cup is absolutely no joke not only in the golf world, but in the sports world as well. The amount of patriotism and pride people bring to the table is unlike any other sporting event, and this year’s event should prove no different!