The Ryder Cup, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments around, will begin in just a few weeks time in Gleneagles, Scotland as the U.S. and Europe continue their epic rivalry. For anyone who’s about to watch the tournament for the very first time, it’s important to note right off the bat that the Ryder Cup is played completely differently as compared to other golf tournaments, like the Masters and the U.S. Open.
To the uninitiated viewer, it can be a little tricky to figure out, but we’ve got you covered. Read on for a quick primer on how the Ryder Cup works. Also, check out our Ryder Cup mid-season preview for more on the upcoming golf tournament.
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A Quick Guide to How the Ryder Cup Works
What is the Ryder Cup?
[sc:Golf240banner ]For those who’re only hearing of the Ryder Cup for the first time, it’s a biennial (once every two years) event that pits a team of 12 golfers from the U.S.A. against another team of a dozen golfers from Europe in a three-day tournament. The teams play a series of rounds each with a different scoring style, and each match awards points towards a cumulative total.
Who are the 12 members of each team?
Not just any American or European golfer can go and play in the Ryder Cup. There are certain criteria that they must meet in order to be eligible for selection to the two 12-member teams. Each team has a specific set of qualifications, which could vary from tournament to tournament.
For this year’s edition, Team Europe members will be composed of the following:
The leading four players on the Ryder Cup European Points List (found here).
The five highest-ranking players on the Official World Golf Ranking excluding the top four on the Ryder Cup World Points List.
Three captain’s picks.
As for the the 12-man Team U.S.A., it will be composed of the nine leading players on the Ryder Cup Points List (found here) and three captain’s picks.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy currently headlines the list of participants for Team Europe, which is a -180 favorite to win the competition in 2014.
What is the Ryder Cup format?
The Ryder Cup is set in what’s known as a match play format, which is different from the stroke play scoring format used in most other golf tournaments like the majors. In this format, instead of using a player’s cumulative number of strokes over the course of a round (i.e. -4), points are on the line in different holes or “matches.”
There are three different types of matches, some of which will require teamwork in the traditionally individual sport of golf. The matches are classified as foursomes, fourballs and singles.
Foursome
In this match, a pair from one team will go head-to-head with a pair from another team to win one hole. The catch is, both pairs of teammates will use only one ball.
For example, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia are paired up for Team Europe. McIlroy would be the one to tee off, Garcia would hit the approach to the green and then McIlroy putts first, and so on, until the hole is completed.
The team with the lowest score wins the hole.
Fourball
As with the foursome, pairs of players will represent each team. However, as the name implies, each of the four players will play his own ball throughout the course.
So if the pair of Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson for the U.S. and Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia for Europe are paired off against one another, all four of them will tee off, approach, and putt their own balls until they’ve completed the hole.
The player with the lowest score among the four competitors wins the hole for his team.
Singles
On the final day, 12 singles matches are played, with a player from each team going head-to-head in solo contests that often define which team wins the competition.
Since 1979, the format has been four foursome and four fourball matches in Days 1 and 2, and the 12 singles matches on the final day. In total, 28 points are up for grabs. A player can play a maximum of 5 matches (2 foursomes, 2 fourballs and a singles match). However, not all players must play on the first two days; the captain can select any eight players for each of the sessions over these two days.
