44Th The Ryder Cup takes place on Friday at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club outside Rome.
Here’s everything you need to know:
What is the Ryder Cup?
The Ryder Cup is an international team match-play tournament, traditionally held once every two years or biennially. Initially, the event, which started in 1927, matched two teams, one from the United States and the other from Great Britain. In 1973, the Great Britain team was officially transferred to Great Britain and Ireland, although Irish players had played before that. Later in 1979, the GB&I team was expanded to include players from continental Europe, which is what we see today: America vs. Europe.
• • •
How many players are in each team and how are they determined?
Each team has 12 players. The manner in which each of them was selected varied over the years, but for the 2023 tournament in Rome, each team had six automatic qualifiers and six captains’ selections. The U.S. team’s automatic qualifiers come from the American points standings, while Europe uses two points standings, European and World Points, with three players eliminated from each roster.
• • •
What is the 2023 schedule of events?
The official ceremony will take place on Tuesday-Thursday at 4pm local time. The Ryder Cup starts on Friday, with five sessions contested over the next three days, two each on Friday and Saturday (a morning four-ball and an afternoon four-ball) and a single session on Sunday. While Sunday features 12 singles matches, four fours and four fours each are played on the first two days.
Click here For full schedule.
• • •
How and when can I see?
The Ryder Cup begins Wednesday in the U.S. and will be broadcast on NBC, USA, the GOLF Channel and the Peacock:
Wednesday – Ryder Cup All-Star Match, 6:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ET (Peacock)
Thursday – Junior Ryder Cup, 4:30 am-7:30 am ET (GOLF, Peacock); Opening Ceremony, 10am-1pm ET
Friday – Four-man and four-ball sessions, 1:30 a.m.-noon ET (USA, Peacock); Specialty Competition (Quarters), 1:30 p.m.-Final (Peacock); Special Match (Four Ball), 6:20am-Final (Peacock)
Saturday – four-person and four-ball sessions, 1:30 am-3 am ET (USA) and 3 am-noon ET (NBC); Rebroadcast, noon-6 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock); Specialty Competition (Quarters), 1:30 p.m.-Final (Peacock); Special Match (Four Ball), 7am-Final (Peacock)
Sunday – Singles Session, 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock); Featured match (singles), TBD
Click here For complete and most updated TV schedule.
• • •
How is the Ryder Cup scored and how much does a team need to win?
Played 28 matches in the Ryder Cup and scored 28 points. Each match win is worth one full point, while half points are awarded for ties. Unlike stroke play, match play involves one or two players from each team competing against each other. If a side scores less on a hole, it wins that hole. Winning the most holes wins the tournament and a point. Two examples of final scores are: 1 UP, a player wins 18 holes by one hole more than his opponent; 3&2, a player wins three holes to play with two holes ahead of his opponent. The first team to score 14 ½ points wins the trophy. In the event of a 14-14 tie, the previous Ryder Cup winner retains the trophy. Even if one team wins, all matches continue until each match is finished and the final count is made.
• • •
How do the different formats work?
Out of four, teams consist of two players who take turns hitting shots. So, on the first hole, Player A tees off, Player B hits the second shot, and they alternate from there until they finish the hole. Player B then no. 2 off the tee and subsequent par holes. In four-ball, teams consist of two players, although each player plays his own ball, and the team takes the lowest score of the two players on each hole. In singles, players play the traditional game.
• • •
Why do some players not hole out?
These are called concessions. Unlike stroke play, players do not have to complete each hole in match play. If a player concedes a stroke—almost always a putt—to his opponent, the opponent takes his ball, takes his score on the next stroke and moves on to the next hole.
• • •
Why do some matches end before 18?Th Hole?
Once a player has a lead greater than the number of holes remaining, the match ends. For example, if one player is 3 UP with two holes to play, the match is over because no other player can tie or win the match.
• • •
Who plays when and how is it decided?
Each team’s captain fills their order for each session in a blind-draw format, meaning that the opposing captain does not know which order the other captain has selected players for each session. With four matches and eight players per team competing in each of the first four sessions, four players per team will sit in any session until all 24 players have competed.
• • •
Which team has won the most Ryder Cups?
The USA is 27-14-2 in Ryder Cups. While Europe hasn’t lost at home since 1993, the Americans won the last edition 19-9 in the Whistling Straits.
• • •
What is the record for margin of victory?
Despite the fewer points scored that day, the Americans’ ten-point win at Wisconsin in 2021 is the modern record for margin of victory.
• • •
What do teams play for? For their country. No money on the line, only pride.