Ryder Cup is awarded to the winner of a competition between two teams of professional male golfers. One team represents the United States, and the other represents Europe. The competition is held every two years and has become one of the most exciting and colorful events in international sports.
Ryder Cup competition runs over a three-day period. The event is held alternately in the United States and Europe. The first two days consist of eight matches each day involving two-player teams. The final day consists of 12 matches between individual golfers. Each match victory is worth one point. A tie match earns each team one-half point. There are 28 points possible. A team must score 14 1/2 points to win outright. If the teams tie, the defending team retains the cup.
The Cup is named for Samuel A. Ryder, an English seed merchant who donated the trophy for the competition. The first Ryder Cup match was held in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1927. The format has changed over the years to the present three-day series of matches. From 1927 to 1971, the Cup was contested by teams from the United States and the United Kingdom. Ireland was added to the Great Britain team beginning in 1973. In 1979, players from other European countries were added to the British team. The United States dominated play early in the Ryder Cup’s history, winning 22 of the first 25 competitions. Since 1985, the two teams have been much more evenly matched.
The 2020 Ryder Cup competition was played in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
