The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. Originally contested between Great Britain and the United States, the first official Ryder Cup took place in 1927. The representation of "Great Britain and Ireland" was extended to include continental Europe from 1979.
In all the following tables Europe includes Great Britain/Great Britain and Ireland up to 1977.
For details of individual players' complete Ryder Cup records see: List of European Ryder Cup golfers and List of American Ryder Cup golfers.
Summary
There have been a total of 1040 individual matches played in the 44 Ryder Cups. Of these the United States has won 501, Europe (including Great Britain/Great Britain and Ireland up to 1977) has won 396 with 143 matches halved. Thus the United States have scored a total of 572½ points to Europe's 467½.[1]
| Team | All Ryder Cups | 36 hole matches | 18 hole matches | ||||||||
| Overall | Singles | Foursomes | Fourballs | Overall | Singles | Foursomes | Overall | Singles | Foursomes | Fourballs | |
 United States won |
501 | 251 | 145 | 105 | 94 | 61 | 33 | 407 | 190 | 112 | 105 |
 Europe won |
396 | 184 | 122 | 90 | 48 | 33 | 15 | 348 | 151 | 107 | 90 |
| Halved | 143 | 71 | 30 | 42 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 129 | 61 | 26 | 42 |
| United States points |
572½ | 286½ | 160 | 126 | 101 | 66 | 35 | 471½ | 220½ | 125 | 126 |
| Europe points |
467½ | 219½ | 137 | 111 | 55 | 38 | 17 | 412½ | 181½ | 120 | 111 |
| Total | 1040 | 506 | 297 | 237 | 156 | 104 | 52 | 884 | 402 | 245 | 237 |
36 holes matches were played up to 1959, 18 hole matches from 1961 onwards. Fourball matches were first played in 1963. The table includes three 18 hole single matches (in 1979, 1991 and 1993) which were not actually played because of injury but were declared as halved matches.
Holes-in-one
The following players have scored a hole-in-one.[2]
Europe
| Hole | Player | Match | Type | Year |
| 16th at Muirfield | Peter Butler | Brian Barnes & Peter Butler lost 1 hole v Jack Nicklaus & Tom Weiskopf | Foursomes | 1973 |
| 14th at The Belfry | Nick Faldo | Nick Faldo halved with Paul Azinger | Singles | 1993 |
| 6th at Oak Hill | Costantino Rocca | Sam Torrance & Costantino Rocca won 6 & 5 v Davis Love III & Jeff Maggert | Foursomes | 1995 |
| 11th at Oak Hill | Howard Clark | Howard Clark won 1 hole v Peter Jacobsen | Singles | 1995 |
| 14th at The K Club | Paul Casey | Paul Casey & David Howell won 5 & 4 v Stewart Cink & Zach Johnson | Foursomes | 2006 |
United States
| Hole | Player | Match | Type | Year |
| 14th at The K Club | Scott Verplank | Scott Verplank won 4 & 3 v Pádraig Harrington | Singles | 2006 |
Largest margins of victory in a match
36 hole matches (to 1959)
All victories by 7 or more holes for Europe and by 8 or more holes for the United States are listed.[3]
Europe
| Margin | Winner | Loser | Type | Year |
| 10 & 8 | George Duncan | Walter Hagen | Singles | 1929 |
| 9 & 8 | Abe Mitchell | Olin Dutra | Singles | 1933 |
| 9 & 7 | Fred Daly | Ted Kroll | Singles | 1953 |
The largest victory in a foursomes match was a 7&5 win by Aubrey Boomer & Charles Whitcombe against Leo Diegel & Bill Mehlhorn in 1927.
United States
| Margin | Winner | Loser | Type | Year |
| 10 & 9 | Walter Hagen & Denny Shute | George Duncan & Arthur Havers | Foursomes | 1931 |
| 10 & 9 | Ed Oliver & Lew Worsham | Henry Cotton & Arthur Lees | Foursomes | 1947 |
| 9 & 8 | Leo Diegel | Abe Mitchell | Singles | 1929 |
| 9 & 8 | Paul Runyan & Horton Smith | Bill Cox & Ted Jarman | Foursomes | 1935 |
18 hole matches (from 1961)
All victories by 5 or more holes for Europe and by 6 or more holes for the United States are listed.[3]
Europe
| Margin | Winner | Loser | Type | Year |
| 9 & 7 | Ludvig Åberg & Viktor Hovland | Scottie Scheffler & Brooks Koepka | Foursomes | 2023 |
| 7 & 5 | José María Cañizares & José Rivero | Tom Kite & Calvin Peete | Foursomes | 1985 |
| 7 & 5 | Ian Woosnam & Bernhard Langer | Paul Azinger & Payne Stewart | Foursomes | 1993 |
| 6 & 5 | Dave Thomas & George Will | Arnold Palmer & Dave Marr | Foursomes | 1965 |
| 6 & 5 | Nick Faldo & Peter Oosterhuis | Andy Bean & Tom Kite | Foursomes | 1979 |
| 6 & 5 | Des Smyth & José María Cañizares | Bill Rogers & Bruce Lietzke | Fourball | 1981 |
| 6 & 5 | Seve Ballesteros & José María Olazábal | Tom Watson & Mark O'Meara | Fourball | 1989 |
| 6 & 5 | Ian Woosnam & Peter Baker | Fred Couples & Paul Azinger | Fourball | 1993 |
| 6 & 5 | Sam Torrance & Costantino Rocca | Davis Love III & Jeff Maggert | Foursomes | 1995 |
| 6 & 5 | Luke Donald & Lee Westwood | Steve Stricker & Tiger Woods | Foursomes | 2010 |
The largest victory in a singles match has been a 5&4 win, achieved 9 times, firstly by Bernard Hunt against Jerry Barber in 1961.
United States
| Margin | Winner | Loser | Type | Year |
| 8 & 7 | Tom Kite | Howard Clark | Singles | 1989 |
| 8 & 7 | Fred Couples | Ian Woosnam | Singles | 1997 |
| 7 & 6 | Miller Barber | Maurice Bembridge | Singles | 1969 |
| 7 & 6 | Lee Trevino | Brian Huggett | Singles | 1971 |
| 7 & 6 | Hale Irwin & Tom Kite | Ken Brown & Des Smyth | Foursomes | 1979 |
| 7 & 6 | Paul Azinger & Mark O'Meara | Nick Faldo & David Gilford | Foursomes | 1991 |
| 7 & 6 | Tom Lehman | Ignacio Garrido | Singles | 1997 |
| 7 & 6 | Keegan Bradley & Phil Mickelson | Lee Westwood & Luke Donald | Foursomes | 2012 |
The largest victory in a fourball match has been a 7&5 win by Lee Trevino & Jerry Pate against Nick Faldo & Sam Torrance in 1981.
Pairings
Most frequent pairings
Pairings used 7 or more times for Europe and 5 or more times for the United States are listed.[4]
Europe
| Pairing | Number | Points | First Year |
Last Year |
Overall Record W–L–H |
Foursomes Record W–L–H |
Fourballs Record W–L–H |
| Seve Ballesteros & José María Olazábal | 15 | 12 | 1987 | 1993 | 11–2–2 | 6–1–1 | 5–1–1 |
| Peter Alliss & Christy O'Connor Snr | 12 | 5.5 | 1959 | 1969 | 5–6–1 | 4–4–1 | 1–2–0 |
| Brian Barnes & Bernard Gallacher | 10 | 5.5 | 1973 | 1979 | 5–4–1 | 2–3–0 | 3–1–1 |
| Nick Faldo & Ian Woosnam | 10 | 6 | 1987 | 1991 | 5–3–2 | 2–1–2 | 3–2–0 |
| Neil Coles & Bernard Hunt | 8 | 2.5 | 1963 | 1967 | 2–5–1 | 1–2–1 | 1–3–0 |
| Darren Clarke & Lee Westwood | 8 | 6 | 1999 | 2006 | 6–2–0 | 3–1–0 | 3–1–0 |
| Justin Rose & Henrik Stenson | 8 | 6 | 2014 | 2018 | 6–2–0 | 3–1–0 | 3–1–0 |
| Neil Coles & Christy O'Connor Snr | 7 | 3.5 | 1963 | 1973 | 3–3–1 | 2–1–0 | 1–2–1 |
| Tony Jacklin & Peter Oosterhuis | 7 | 4 | 1973 | 1975 | 3–2–2 | 1–1–1 | 2–1–1 |
| Nick Faldo & Colin Montgomerie | 7 | 3.5 | 1993 | 1995 | 3–3–1 | 3–1–0 | 0–2–1 |
| Bernhard Langer & Colin Montgomerie | 7 | 5.5 | 1991 | 2002 | 5–1–1 | 3–0–1 | 2–1–0 |
| Sergio García & Lee Westwood | 7 | 5 | 2002 | 2008 | 4–1–2 | 2–0–1 | 2–1–1 |
United States
| Pairing | Number | Points | First Year |
Last Year |
Overall Record W–L–H |
Foursomes Record W–L–H |
Fourballs Record W–L–H |
| Jordan Spieth & Justin Thomas | 9 | 4.5 | 2018 | 2023 | 4–4–1 | 2–3–0 | 2–1–1 |
| Patrick Reed & Jordan Spieth | 7 | 5 | 2014 | 2016 | 4–1–2 | 1–0–2 | 3–1–0 |
| Larry Nelson & Lanny Wadkins | 6 | 4 | 1979 | 1987 | 4–2–0 | 2–1–0 | 2–1–0 |
| Tom Kite & Curtis Strange | 6 | 2.5 | 1987 | 1989 | 2–3–1 | 2–1–1 | 0–2–0 |
| Phil Mickelson & David Toms | 6 | 3.5 | 2002 | 2006 | 3–2–1 | 2–1–1 | 1–1–0 |
| Steve Stricker & Tiger Woods | 6 | 2 | 2010 | 2012 | 2–4–0 | 1–2–0 | 1–2–0 |
| Webb Simpson & Bubba Watson | 6 | 3 | 2012 | 2018 | 3–3–0 | 1–2–0 | 2–1–0 |
| Julius Boros & Tony Lema | 5 | 3.5 | 1963 | 1965 | 3–1–1 | 3–0–1 | 0–1–0 |
| Gardner Dickinson & Arnold Palmer | 5 | 5 | 1967 | 1971 | 5–0–0 | 4–0–0 | 1–0–0 |
| Keegan Bradley & Phil Mickelson | 5 | 4 | 2012 | 2014 | 4–1–0 | 2–1–0 | 2–0–0 |
The ages given are on the first day of the Ryder Cup. Generally the leading 5 in each category are given.[1]
Youngest players
Europe
| Age | Player | Year | Date of Birth | Date of Cup |
| 19 years, 258 days | Sergio García | 1999 | 9 January 1980 | 24 September 1999 |
| 20 years, 59 days | Nick Faldo | 1977 | 18 July 1957 | 15 September 1977 |
| 20 years, 216 days | Paul Way | 1983 | 12 March 1963 | 14 October 1983 |
| 20 years, 221 days | Bernard Gallacher | 1969 | 9 February 1949 | 18 September 1969 |
| 20 years, 249 days | Ken Brown | 1977 | 9 January 1957 | 15 September 1977 |
United States
| Age | Player | Year | Date of Birth | Date of Cup |
| 20 years, 339 days | Horton Smith | 1929 | 22 May 1908 | 26 April 1929 |
| 21 years, 61 days | Jordan Spieth | 2014 | 27 July 1993 | 26 September 2014 |
| 21 years, 270 days | Tiger Woods | 1997 | 30 December 1975 | 26 September 1997 |
| 21 years, 292 days | Rickie Fowler | 2010 | 13 December 1988 | 1 October 2010 |
| 23 years, 35 days | Horton Smith | 1931 | 22 May 1908 | 26 June 1931 |
Oldest players
Europe
| Age | Player | Year | Date of Birth | Date of Cup |
| 50 years, 67 days | Ted Ray | 1927 | 28 March 1877 | 3 June 1927 |
| 48 years, 273 days | Christy O'Connor Snr | 1973 | 21 December 1924 | 20 September 1973 |
| 48 years, 196 days | Dai Rees | 1961 | 31 March 1913 | 13 October 1961 |
| 48 years, 153 days | Lee Westwood | 2021 | 24 April 1973 | 24 September 2021 |
| 47 years, 283 days | George Duncan | 1931 | 16 September 1883 | 26 June 1931 |
The oldest rookie was Ted Ray in 1927. Excluding Ray, who was playing in the first Ryder Cup, Tom Haliburton who was 46 years, 130 days in 1961 is the oldest European rookie.
United States
| Age | Player | Year | Date of Birth | Date of Cup |
| 51 years, 20 days | Raymond Floyd | 1993 | 4 September 1942 | 24 September 1993 |
| 50 years, 290 days | Jay Haas | 2004 | 2 December 1953 | 17 September 2004 |
| 49 years, 23 days | Raymond Floyd | 1991 | 4 September 1942 | 27 September 1991 |
| 48 years, 104 days | Phil Mickelson | 2018 | 16 June 1970 | 28 September 2018 |
| 48 years, 95 days | Fred Funk | 2004 | 14 June 1956 | 17 September 2004 |
The oldest rookie was Fred Funk in 2004.
Longest lived players
Europe
| Age [†] | Player | Birth | Death |
| 95 years, 311 days | Ted Jarman | 2 July 1907 | 9 May 2003 |
| 92 years, 297 days | Peter Mills | 14 May 1931 | Living |
| 92 years, 288 days | John Panton | 9 October 1916 | 24 July 2009 |
| 91 years, 335 days | Aubrey Boomer | 1 November 1897 | 2 October 1989 |
| 91 years, 334 days | Sam King | 27 March 1911 | 24 February 2003 |
Peter Mills is the only survivor from the 1957 and 1959 matches.
United States
| Age [†] | Player | Birth | Death |
| 100 years, 355 days | Jack Burke Jr. | 29 January 1923 | 19 January 2024 |
| 97 years, 75 days | Gene Sarazen | 27 February 1902 | 13 May 1999 |
| 95 years, 281 days | Doug Ford | 6 August 1922 | 14 May 2018 |
| 94 years, 234 days | Byron Nelson | 4 February 1912 | 26 September 2006 |
| 93 years, 248 days | Paul Runyan | 12 July 1908 | 17 March 2002 |
† ^ denotes age at death, or, if living, age as of 6 March 2024
Captains
- Youngest Ryder Cup captain: Arnold Palmer – 34 years, 31 days in 1963
- Youngest European captain: Charles Whitcombe – 35 years, 278 days in 1931
- Youngest non-playing captain: Ben Hogan – 37 years, 34 days in 1949
- Youngest non-playing European captain: Tony Jacklin – 39 years, 99 days in 1983
- Oldest Ryder Cup captain: Tom Watson – 65 years, 22 days in 2014
- Oldest European captain: J.H. Taylor – 62 years, 99 days in 1933
- Oldest playing captain: Ted Ray – 50 years, 67 days in 1927
- Oldest playing United States captain: Sam Snead – 47 years, 163 days in 1959
References
- ^ a b "Selected Ryder Cup Records" (PDF). PGA Media Guide 2012. PGA of America. p. 69. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "Selected Ryder Cup Records: Holes in one" (PDF). PGA Media Guide 2012. PGA of America. p. 68. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Selected Ryder Cup Records: Highest winning margins" (PDF). PGA Media Guide 2012. PGA of America. p. 75. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "Selected Ryder Cup Records: Teams playing together the most" (PDF). PGA Media Guide 2012. PGA of America. p. 74. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
This page was last edited on 6 March 2024, at 13:51