The Ryder Cup is a biennial competition, played in alternating years with the Presidents Cup, and has been contested since 1927.
Two 12-player teams compete in a series of matches over three days to determine the champion. The two teams are the American side and the Europeans.
However, the American adversary wasn't always the full continent of Europe. From its founding through 1971, Great Britain was the American opponent. From 1973-1977, the team was Great Britain and Ireland. From 1979, the eligibility was expanded to include all European-born players.
All American players must be in good standing with the PGA of America, which owns the US portion of the matches and runs them in the United States. All European players must be members in good standing of the DP World Tour, whose parent, the European Tour Group, manages the European editions of the event along with the PGA of Europe and the PGA of Great Britain.
Join Golf News Net for $10 per year, and go ad-free!The United States is 27-15-2 in the history of the matches, with the ties coming in 1969 at Royal Birkdale in England and in 1989 at The Belfry in England.
The Great Britain and the Great Britain and Ireland teams were a combined 3-18-1, while the European teams since 1979 are 12-9-1.
Ryder Cup Format
The modern Ryder Cup is played over three days. The first two days feature two four-match sessions. One session is four matches of foursomes, also known as alternate shot, and then one four-match session of the fourball, also known as best ball, format. The teams compare scores to determine who wins the hole. The order is determined by the home captain.
All told, 16 matches are played in the first two days. Matches are made via blind draw, with captains submitting picks for their lineup in each session without knowing the other captain's players, teams and order selected.
The final day features 12 one-on-one matches, with the order determined by a blind draw submitted by each captain.
A point is earned for each match won, with the point split between both teams in the event of a tie. A total of 28 points are available, with 14 required for the reigning champion to retain the cup and 14.5 points to win the matches outright.
In the event of a tie, the team that comes into the matches that year with possession of the cup retains it until the next cup.
Ryder Cup History & Results
| Year | Course | Location | US | Europe | Captains |
| 2023 | Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Rome | 16.5 | 11.5 | US - Zach Johnson, EU - Luke Donald | |
| 2021 | Whistling Straits, Straits Course, Haven, Wisconsin | 19 | 9 | US - Steve Stricker, EU - Pádraig Harrington | |
| 2018 | Le Golf National, Albatros Course, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines | 17.5 | 10.5 | US - Jim Furyk, EU - Thomas Bjørn | |
| 2016 | Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota | 17 | 11 | US - Davis Love III, EU - Darren Clarke | |
| 2014 | Gleneagles, PGA Centenary Course, Perth & Kinross | 16.5 | 11.5 | US - Tom Watson, EU - Paul McGinley | |
| 2012 | Medinah Country Club, Course 3, Medinah, Illinois | 14.5 | 13.5 | US - Davis Love III, EU - José María Olazábal | |
| 2010 | Celtic Manor Resort, Twenty Ten Course, Newport | 14.5 | 13.5 | US - Corey Pavin, EU - Colin Montgomerie | |
| 2008 | Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky | 16.5 | 11.5 | US - Paul Azinger, EU - Nick Faldo | |
| 2006 | K Club, Palmer Course, Straffan, County Kildare | 18.5 | 9.5 | US - Tom Lehman, EU - Ian Woosnam | |
| 2004 | Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | 18.5 | 9.5 | US - Hal Sutton, EU - Bernhard Langer | |
| 2002 | The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire | 15.5 | 12.5 | US - Curtis Strange, EU - Sam Torrance | |
| 1999 | The Country Club, Composite Course, Brookline, Massachusetts | 14.5 | 13.5 | US - Ben Crenshaw, EU - Mark James | |
| 1997 | Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, Andalusia | 14.5 | 13.5 | US - Tom Kite, EU - Seve Ballesteros | |
| 1995 | Oak Hill Country Club, East Course, Rochester, New York | 14.5 | 13.5 | US - Lanny Wadkins, EU - Bernard Gallacher | |
| 1993 | The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire | 15 | 13 | US - Tom Watson, EU - Bernard Gallacher | |
| 1991 | Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina | 14.5 | 13.5 | US - Dave Stockton, EU - Bernard Gallacher | |
| 1989 | The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire | 14 | 14† | US - Raymond Floyd, EU - Tony Jacklin | |
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| 1987 | Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio | 15 | 13 | US - Jack Nicklaus, EU - Tony Jacklin | |
| 1985 | The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire | 16.5 | 11.5 | US - Lee Trevino, EU - Tony Jacklin | |
| 1983 | PGA National Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida | 14.5 | 13.5 | US - Jack Nicklaus, EU - Tony Jacklin | |
| 1981 | Walton Heath Golf Club, Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey | 18.5 | 9.5 | US - Dave Marr, EU - John Jacobs | |
| 1979 | The Greenbrier, The Greenbrier Course, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia | 17 | 11 | US - Billy Casper, EU - John Jacobs | |
| 1977 | Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire | 12.5 | 7.5 | US - Dow Finsterwald, GB&I - Brian Huggett | |
| 1975 | Laurel Valley Golf Club, Ligonier, Pennsylvania | 21 | 11 | US - Arnold Palmer, GB&I - Bernard Hunt | |
| 1973 | Muirfield, Gullane, East Lothian | 19 | 13 | US - Jack Burke Jr., GB&I - Bernard Hunt | |
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| 1971 | Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis, Missouri | 18.5 | 13.5 | US - Jay Hebert, GB - Eric Brown | |
| 1969 | Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Lancashire | 16 | 16† | US - Sam Snead, GB - Eric Brown | |
| 1967 | Champions Golf Club, Houston, Texas | 23.5 | 8.5 | US - Ben Hogan, GB - Dai Rees | |
| 1965 | Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Lancashire | 19.5 | 12.5 | US - Byron Nelson, GB - Harry Weetman | |
| 1963 | Atlanta Athletic Club, Atlanta, Georgia[a] | 23 | 9 | US - Arnold Palmer, GB - John Fallon | |
| 1961 | Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire | 14.5 | 9.5 | US - Jerry Barber, GB - Dai Rees | |
| 1959 | Eldorado Golf Club, Indian Wells, California | 8.5 | 3.5 | US - Sam Snead, GB - Dai Rees | |
| 1957 | Lindrick Golf Club, West Riding of Yorkshire | 7.5 | 4.5 | US - Jack Burke Jr., GB - Dai Rees | |
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| 1955 | Thunderbird Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California | 8 | 4 | US - Chick Harbert, GB - Dai Rees | |
| 1953 | Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey | 6.5 | 5.5 | US - Lloyd Mangrum, GB - Henry Cotton | |
| 1951 | Pinehurst Resort Course No. 2, North Carolina | 9.5 | 2.5 | US - Sam Snead, GB - Arthur Lacey | |
| 1949 | Ganton Golf Club, Scarborough, Yorkshire | 7 | 5 | US - Ben Hogan, GB - Charles Whitcombe | |
| 1947 | Portland Golf Club, Portland, Oregon | 11 | 1 | US - Ben Hogan, GB - Henry Cotton | |
| 1937 | Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Lancashire | 8 | 4 | US - Walter Hagen, GB - Charles Whitcombe | |
| 1935 | Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, New Jersey | 9 | 3 | US - Walter Hagen, GB - Charles Whitcombe | |
| 1933 | Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Lancashire | 6.5 | 5.5 | US - Walter Hagen, GB - John Henry Taylor | |
| 1931 | Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio | 9 | 3 | US - Walter Hagen, GB - Charles Whitcombe | |
| 1929 | Moortown Golf Club, Yorkshire | 7 | 5 | US - Walter Hagen, GB - George Duncan | |
| 1927 | Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts | 9.5 | 2.5 | US - Walter Hagen, GB - Ted Ray |
