RYDER CUP LOCATION: The host club for the Ryder Cup alternates biannually between Europe and the United States, such that there is a Ryder Cup held every two years, but it is four years between being held on home soil.  The 2021 Ryder Cup was postponed from 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.  Going forward, the Ryder Cup has moved to odd numbered years to keep the biannual spacing in place.  

THE NEXT RYDER CUP LOCATION:

September 2025 Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, NY

FUTURE RYDER CUP LOCATIONS: 

September 2027 The Golf Course at Adare Manor, County Limerick, Ireland
September 2029 Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, MN
September 2033 The Olympic Lake Course, San Francisco, CA 

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TEAMS: Teams consist of 12 players.  All U.S. players earn points at every PGA tour event, World Golf Championships event and major in the year prior to the Ryder Cup.

The top eight players in the Ryder Cup points standings qualify automatically. The four remaining slots on the U.S. team are captain’s picks.

The European Team is comprised of the first four players from the European Points List, followed by the leading four players from the World Points List and completed by four wild cards chosen by the team captain.

FORMAT OF PLAY: The Ryder Cup is comprised of 3 days of competitive golf, typically played on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  On Friday and Saturday, teams of 2 compete in Four-Ball.  In the afternoon, teams of two compete in Foursomes.  Then, on Sunday, all 12 players compete head to head in match play versus the other team.  Following are the rules governing each style of play.

MORNING FOUR-BALL:  Each member of a two-man team plays his own ball, so four balls will be in play on every hole. Each team records the lowest of its two scores for each hole, and the team whose player has the lowest score wins the hole and the corresponding point. If the low scores are tied on a particular hole then the hole will be halved.

FOURSOMES: Each two-man team plays just one ball per hole with the players alternating shots until each hole is completed. Players take turns hitting the tee shots, with one teeing off on odd-numbered holes, and the other leading on even-numbered holes. The team with the lowest score on each hole wins that hole. If their scores are tied, the hole is then halved.

SINGLES: each singles match features just one player from each team. The player recording the lower score on each hole wins that hole. If their scores are tied, the hole is then halved.

Unlike in stroke play, the players do not have to complete each hole in match play. If a player concedes a stroke – almost always a putt – the opponent picks up his ball, takes the score he would have made on the next stroke and moves on to the next hole.

POINTS SYSTEM: Each match is worth one point, and matches that end in a tie are worth 1/2 point to each team. The first team to attain 14 ½ points (of the 28 points available) will win the Ryder Cup. If the matches ultimately end in a 14-14 tie, the team that most recently won the Ryder Cup gets to retain it.

WHAT MAKES THE RYDER CUP DIFFERENT: While other tournaments like The Masters encourage a quiet, respectful crowd, the Ryder Cup feels more like a wild European soccer match.  Chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” greet players as they approach the Ryder Cup tee boxes. Some players even get booed, making the atmosphere wild and electric.