The Full History of the Ryder Cup

The 2023 Ryder Cup will get underway in September, and the excitement is building as players on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour try to make their claims for a place in each respective team.

While golf is predominantly an individual sport, the Ryder Cup offers players the chance to work as a team, and it is one of the most unique competitions in the world.

Golf fans from around the world flock to the course for a glimpse of the players, and this year's tournament in Rome should be no different.

What	Ryder Cup 2023
Where	Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Italy
When	29th September - 1st October 2023
How to watch	Sky Sports Golf
Odds	Europe 6/4, Tie 12/1, USA 4/6

What is the Ryder Cup?

The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition that is contested by teams from Europe and the United States. It is contested every two years, with the host venue alternating between courses in Europe and in the United States.
 

Founding of the Ryder Cup

There have been 43 Ryder Cups since its inception in 1927, but plans for an event were drawn up as early as 1920. 

Matches between American players and those from Great Britain took place in 1921 and 1926, but it was not until 1927 that a "Deed of Trust" was drawn up.

A formal plan was implemented, and the first official Ryder Cup occurred at Worcester Country Club in Worcester, Massachusetts. The name of the event came about thanks to Samuel Ryder, who sponsored the competition and presented the trophy to the winners of the tournament.

The home team won the first five contests before the Second World War, but due to American dominance, the format was changed to include players from continental Europe in 1979.
 

Changing of the guard

Due to the emergence of Spanish golfers, such as Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido, the addition of European golfers made the competition a lot more competitive.

Since 1979, Europe has won the Ryder Cup 11 times outright, while they have retained the Cup once in a tied contest. The USA have won the Ryder Cup nine times during the same time period.

The tournament is now far more competitive thanks to the quality of players from across Europe, and the European team have been represented by players from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Wins away from home are rare, with Europe winning four times in the USA in 1987, 1995, 2004 and 2012. The United States have won twice in Europe, lifting the trophy in 1981 and 1993.

Europe won eight out of the ten Ryder Cups between 1995 and 2014, but the United States are the defending champions, having won the 2021 edition at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. 
 

Format of the Ryder Cup

The selection process for Ryder Cup teams has varied over the years, with players initially selected by a committee. Now, players qualify based on their performances across the qualifying period, while team captains then make up the rest of their team via "wildcard" picks.

The Ryder Cup consists of various match-play formats contested between the two teams of twelve. Twenty-eight Matches take place from Friday to Sunday, and all take place over 18 holes.

On Friday and Saturday, there are four fourball matches, and four foursome matches each day. While on Sunday, all 24 players compete in 12 single matches.

Not all players must play on Friday and Saturday, but all those selected must play in the singles on Sunday, with the order chosen by the team captain and announced together. 
 

Who has won the Ryder Cup the most?

As it stands, the United States have won the Ryder Cup the most, winning 27 of the 43 matches.
 

What is the record win at the Ryder Cup?

The United States holds the record for the largest margin of victory in the modern history of the tournament after their emphatic win in 2021.

They won 19-9 over Europe at Whistling Straits in what turned out to be a one-sided event in Wisconsin.
 

Who has qualified for the 2023 Ryder Cup?

The first six spots of the United States team have already been secured ahead of the 2023 event in Rome, Italy.

Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele have all secured their spots, with the final few places still up for grabs.

United States captain Zach Johnson may want to add some experience with his other selections as he and his team try to defend their crown.

For Europe, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland have already qualified, but there are still two qualifying events to go, with Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood both looking to earn their spots on Luke Donald's team for Rome.