Ryder Cup facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ryder Cup

Tournament information
Location	Guidonia Montecelio, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
Established	1927; 98 years ago
Course(s)	2025: Bethpage Black Course
Par	2025: 71
Length	2025: 7,426 yd (6,790 m)
Organized by	PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe
Tour(s)	PGA Tour, European Tour
Format	Match play
Prize fund	None
Month played	late September, early October
Current champion
Europe
2025 Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup is a huge golf competition for men. It happens every two years between teams from Europe and the United States. The location changes each time, switching between golf courses in the US and Europe. The competition is named after Samuel Ryder, an English businessman who gave the trophy.

At first, the Ryder Cup was played between Great Britain and the United States. The very first official Ryder Cup was in 1927 in Massachusetts, USA. The American team won the first five times! After World War II, the US team kept winning a lot. So, in 1979, they decided to let golfers from all over Europe join the Great Britain and Ireland team. This made the competition much more exciting! Famous Spanish golfers like Seve Ballesteros helped make the European team stronger. Since then, players from many European countries have joined the team.

Since 1979, Europe has won the Cup twelve times. They also kept the Cup once when the match was a tie. The United States has won nine times in the same period. This shows how much more competitive the Ryder Cup became!

The Ryder Cup is special because the professional golfers don't get any prize money. Even though it's a huge event that makes a lot of money from TV, sponsors, and tickets, the players compete for pride and teamwork. The Ryder Cup used to be held in odd-numbered years. But it moved to even years in 2002 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks caused the 2001 event to be cancelled. It moved back to odd years again in 2021 because the 2020 event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How the Ryder Cup Started

The Ryder Cup trophy on display in 2008. It was sponsored by English businessman Samuel Ryder. The figure on top looks like professional golfer Abe Mitchell, who was Ryder's coach.

The idea for a team golf match between American and British professionals grew over time.

Early Matches: 1921 and 1926

In 1921, a group of American golfers traveled to Britain to play in a big tournament. Before that, they played a special team match against British golfers at Gleneagles, Scotland. Great Britain won this match. This event helped spark the idea for a regular competition.

Later, in 1926, more American professionals came to Britain. Walter Hagen, a famous American golfer, helped arrange another team match. This time, an English businessman named Samuel Ryder offered to donate a trophy for an annual competition. This match was played at Wentworth, England. The British team won easily. Even though it was called the "Ryder Cup" match, Samuel Ryder decided to wait a year to officially present the trophy. This was because of some issues, like a general strike in Britain and the American team not being fully ready.

The First Official Ryder Cup: 1927

The first official Ryder Cup happened in 1927 in Worcester, Massachusetts. This time, everything was much more organized. Rules were set, and both the American and British golf associations chose their teams carefully. Samuel Ryder even helped raise money for the British team to travel to the US.

The American team won the first official Ryder Cup. After this, it became clear that holding the event every year was too difficult. So, it was decided that the Ryder Cup would happen every two years.

Europe Joins the Teams

The biggest change to the Ryder Cup was when golfers from continental Europe were allowed to join in 1979. Before 1977, the teams were the United States against Great Britain and Ireland.

In 1977, golf legend Jack Nicklaus talked with the head of the British Professional Golfers' Association. Nicklaus suggested including European players. He thought this would make the matches more exciting. At that time, the American team almost always won easily. From 1947 to 1977, Great Britain and Ireland had only won once and tied once.

This change worked! Talented young European golfers like Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer joined the team. The matches quickly became much more competitive. The Ryder Cup is now super popular, getting a lot of attention from the media. This popularity really grew after Europe joined the competition.

How the Matches Are Played

The Ryder Cup involves different types of golf matches. Two teams of twelve players compete. The event takes place from Friday to Sunday, with a total of 28 matches. All matches are played over 18 holes.

• Friday and Saturday: Each day has two sessions. There are four "fourball" matches and four "foursomes" matches. One session is in the morning, and one is in the afternoon. The team captain chooses eight players for each session.
• Sunday: All twelve team members play in "singles" matches. There are 12 singles matches in total.

The team that wins a match gets one point. If a match is tied after 18 holes, each team gets half a point. The team with the most points at the end wins the Ryder Cup. If the total points are tied (14 points each), the team that won the previous Ryder Cup gets to keep the trophy.

Let's look at the different match types:

• A foursomes match has two teams of two golfers. The golfers on the same team take turns hitting the same ball. One player hits the ball on odd-numbered holes, and the other hits on even-numbered holes. The team that finishes the hole in the fewest shots wins that hole.
• A fourball match also has two teams of two golfers. But in this type, all four golfers play their own ball throughout the round. For each hole, only the better score of the two golfers on a team counts. The team whose individual golfer has the lowest score wins the hole.
• A singles match is a regular one-on-one competition between two golfers.

The way the Ryder Cup is played has changed over the years. In the beginning, matches were longer. Over time, they became shorter (18 holes) and more matches were added. The current 28-match format started in 1979.

The number of players on each team grew from 10 to 12 in 1969.

Since 1979, a player can play in a maximum of 5 matches. This includes 2 foursomes, 2 fourballs, and one singles match.

A 1993 scorecard from Valderrama Golf Club, which hosted the Ryder Cup in 1997. It was the first course outside the UK and US to host the event.

Team Leaders and Players

Captains

Each Ryder Cup team has a captain. The captain chooses the players for each match and decides the order they play in. In the past, the captain was often one of the players. But now, it's too hard to do both jobs, so captains usually don't play. All captains have been professional golfers.

How Players Are Chosen

The way Ryder Cup players are selected has changed over the years. In the early days, a committee simply picked the players. Later, a system was introduced where players earned their spot based on how well they performed in other tournaments.

Today, most players earn their spot automatically based on their performance. A few extra players are then chosen by the captain. These are called "wild cards" or "captain's picks." This system has been used by both teams since 1989.

Famous Ryder Cups

The Ryder Cup has seen some incredibly exciting and dramatic moments.

1969: Nicklaus and Jacklin's Sportsmanship

Tony Jacklin's golf ball used in the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

The 1969 Ryder Cup was one of the most competitive ever. It came down to the very last match between American Jack Nicklaus and British golfer Tony Jacklin. The overall score was tied.

On the final hole, Nicklaus made a putt, but then he did something amazing. He picked up Jacklin's ball, giving him the putt he needed to tie the match. This meant the overall Ryder Cup score remained tied. Since the US team had won the previous Cup, they got to keep the trophy. Nicklaus told Jacklin, "I don't think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances I would never give you the opportunity." This act of sportsmanship is still talked about today!

1989: Growing Rivalry

The 1989 Ryder Cup in England saw tensions rise. The US team had lost the previous two Cups, so they felt a lot of pressure. Before the matches, the US captain, Raymond Floyd, introduced his team as "the 12 greatest players in the world."

This competition also saw the start of a rivalry between Seve Ballesteros (Europe) and Paul Azinger (USA). They had some disagreements during their match. The American team was frustrated when the matches ended in a tie, meaning Europe kept the Cup.

1991: "The War on the Shore"

The rivalry between the teams, especially Ballesteros and Azinger, got even bigger in 1991. This Ryder Cup was held in South Carolina, USA. It became known as "the War on the Shore" because of the intense competition and strong support from the American fans.

There were some heated moments during the matches. Ballesteros and Azinger continued their rivalry, with some arguments over rules. Despite the tension, they played one of the best pairs matches ever. The European pair of Ballesteros and José María Olazábal won. After the matches, Ballesteros famously said, "The American team has 11 nice guys. And Paul Azinger."

The final match was incredibly dramatic. It came down to Hale Irwin (USA) and Bernhard Langer (Europe) on the last hole. The US team needed Irwin to win or tie his match to win the Cup. Langer needed to win his match for Europe to keep the Cup. Both players struggled. Langer had a putt to win, but he missed it. The match was tied, and the US team won the Cup back! This intense competition made the Ryder Cup even more popular.

1999: The Battle of Brookline

The 1999 Ryder Cup in Massachusetts, USA, was very controversial. The American team made an amazing comeback on the final day. They were losing 10-6 but won 8.5 out of 12 singles matches to win the Cup 14.5 to 13.5.

The turning point happened on the 17th hole of a match between American Justin Leonard and Spaniard José María Olazábal. Leonard made a very long putt for birdie. A wild celebration followed, with US players and fans running onto the green. This happened before Olazábal had even taken his putt. Olazábal then missed his putt, and the Americans celebrated again.

After the event, some European players complained about the behavior of the American fans. Many US team members later apologized for their actions. Both teams tried to calm down the strong national feelings around the event.

2012: The Miracle at Medinah

The 2012 Ryder Cup in Illinois, USA, is famous for an incredible European comeback. The European team, led by captain José María Olazábal, was losing 10-4 at the end of the second day. They were far behind, with only 12 singles matches left on the final day.

But on Sunday, Europe played amazingly! They won 8.5 points, while the US won only 3.5 points. This allowed Europe to win the Cup 14.5 to 13.5. It was a comeback as big as the American one in 1999.

Martin Kaymer made the putt that officially won the Cup for Europe. Francesco Molinari then secured the final half-point by tying his match against Tiger Woods. This event is often called the "Miracle at Medinah" in Europe.

Ryder Cup Cancellations

The Ryder Cup has been cancelled or postponed a few times due to major world events.

World War II Cancellations

The Ryder Cup was planned for 1939, but it was cancelled because World War II started in Europe. The competition was also not played in 1941, 1943, and 1945 because of the war. It finally returned in 1947.

2001 Postponement

The 2001 Ryder Cup was supposed to happen in September. However, it was postponed for a year because of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Many American players and officials felt it was not possible to travel and compete. The event was played in 2002 at the same location. This postponement also changed the schedule for future Ryder Cups, moving them to even-numbered years.

2020 Postponement

In 2020, the Ryder Cup was postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then played in 2021. Because of this, all future Ryder Cups will now take place in odd-numbered years again, just like they used to before 2001.

Ryder Cup Results

Here's a quick look at how the teams have done over the years.

Summary of Wins

Team	From	To	Matches	Wins	Losses	Ties	Win %
United States	1927	2023	44	27	15	2	61.36%
Great Britain / Great Britain & Ireland	1927	1977	22	3	18	1	13.64%
Europe	1979	2023	22	12	9	1	54.55%
Great Britain, Ireland & Europe	1927	2023	44	15	27	2	34.09%

Up to date as of 2023 Ryder Cup

Even though the team was called "Great Britain" until 1971, players from Ireland and Northern Ireland were already part of it. In 1973, the name officially changed to "Great Britain and Ireland." Then, in 1979, players from all over continental Europe joined, and the team became known as "Europe." Since then, Europe has won 12 matches, and the United States has won 9.

Past Competitions

#	Year	Dates	Winners	Score	Host location	Course	U.S. captain	European captain	U.S. top point scorer	European top point scorer
United States v Europe (1979 to present)
45th	2025	25–28 Sep	TBD	TBD	New York United States	Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale	TBD	Luke Donald	TBD	TBD
44th	2023	29 Sep– 1 Oct	Europe	161⁄2– 111⁄2	Italy Europe	Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Guidonia Montecelio	Zach Johnson	Luke Donald	Homa 3.5 / 5	McIlroy 4 / 5
43rd	2020 2021	24– 26 Sep	United States	19– 9	Wisconsin United States	Whistling Straits (Straits), Haven	Steve Stricker	Pádraig Harrington	Johnson 5 / 5	Rahm 3.5 / 5
42nd	2018	28– 30 Sep	Europe	171⁄2– 101⁄2	France Europe	Le Golf National (Albatros), Île-de-France	Jim Furyk	Thomas Bjørn	Thomas 4 / 5	Molinari 5 / 5
41st	2016	30 Sep– 2 Oct	United States	17– 11	Minnesota United States	Hazeltine National Golf Club, Carver County	Davis Love III	Darren Clarke	Reed 3.5 / 5	Pieters 4 / 5
40th	2014	26– 28 Sep	Europe	161⁄2– 111⁄2	Scotland Europe	Gleneagles Hotel (PGA Centenary), Perthshire	Tom Watson	Paul McGinley	Reed 3.5 / 4	Rose 4 / 5
39th	2012	28– 30 Sep	Europe	141⁄2– 131⁄2	Illinois United States	Medinah Country Club (No. 3), DuPage County	Davis Love III	José María Olazábal	Johnson 3 / 3	Poulter 4 / 4
38th	2010	1– 4 Oct	Europe	141⁄2– 131⁄2	Wales Europe	Celtic Manor Resort (The Twenty Ten), Newport	Corey Pavin	Colin Montgomerie	Stricker; Woods 3 / 4	Donald; Poulter 3 / 4
37th	2008	19– 21 Sep	United States	161⁄2– 111⁄2	Kentucky United States	Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville	Paul Azinger	Nick Faldo	Mahan 3.5 / 5	Poulter 4 / 5
36th	2006	22– 24 Sep	Europe	181⁄2– 91⁄2	Ireland Europe	K Club (Palmer North), County Kildare	Tom Lehman	Ian Woosnam	Woods 3 / 5	García; Westwood 4 / 5
35th	2004	17– 19 Sep	Europe	181⁄2– 91⁄2	Michigan United States	Oakland Hills Country Club (South), Birmingham, MI	Hal Sutton	Bernhard Langer	DiMarco 2.5 / 4	García; Westwood 4.5 / 5
34th	2001 2002	27– 29 Sep	Europe	151⁄2– 121⁄2	England Europe	The Belfry (Brabazon), Warwickshire	Curtis Strange	Sam Torrance	Toms 3.5 / 5	Montgomerie 4.5 / 5
33rd	1999	24– 26 Sep	United States	141⁄2– 131⁄2	Massachusetts United States	The Country Club (Championship), Norfolk County	Ben Crenshaw	Mark James	Sutton 3.5 / 5	García; Lawrie; Montgomerie; Parnevik 3.5 / 5
32nd	1997	26– 28 Sep	Europe	141⁄2– 131⁄2	Spain Europe	Valderrama Golf Club, Andalusia	Tom Kite	Seve Ballesteros	Hoch 2.5 / 3	Montgomerie 3.5 / 5
31st	1995	22– 24 Sep	Europe	141⁄2– 131⁄2	New York United States	Oak Hill Country Club (East), Monroe County	Lanny Wadkins	Bernard Gallacher	Pavin 4 / 5	Gilford 3 / 4
30th	1993	24– 26 Sep	United States	15– 13	England Europe	The Belfry (Brabazon), Warwickshire	Tom Watson	Bernard Gallacher	Floyd; Stewart 3 / 4	Woosnam 4.5 / 5
29th	1991	27– 29 Sep	United States	141⁄2– 131⁄2	South Carolina United States	Kiawah Island Golf Resort (Ocean), Charleston County	Dave Stockton	Bernard Gallacher	Couples; Wadkins 3.5 / 5	Ballesteros 4.5 / 5
28th	1989	22– 24 Sep	Tied  Europe retains	14– 14	England Europe	The Belfry (Brabazon), Warwickshire	Raymond Floyd	Tony Jacklin	Beck 3.5 / 4	Olazábal 4.5 / 5
27th	1987	25– 27 Sep	Europe	15– 13	Ohio United States	Muirfield Village, Franklin County	Jack Nicklaus	Tony Jacklin	Kite; Sutton 3 / 5	Ballesteros 4 / 5
26th	1985	13– 15 Sep	Europe	161⁄2– 111⁄2	England Europe	The Belfry (Brabazon), Warwickshire	Lee Trevino	Tony Jacklin	Stadler; Wadkins 3 / 5	Piñero 4 / 5
25th	1983	14– 16 Oct	United States	141⁄2– 131⁄2	Florida United States	PGA National Golf Club, Palm Beach County	Jack Nicklaus	Tony Jacklin	Watson 4 / 5	Faldo; Langer 4 / 5
24th	1981	18– 20 Sep	United States	181⁄2– 91⁄2	England Europe	Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey	Dave Marr	John Jacobs	Nelson; Nicklaus; Trevino 4 / 4	Piñero 2 / 4
23rd	1979	14– 16 Sep	United States	17– 11	West Virginia United States	The Greenbrier, Greenbrier County	Billy Casper	John Jacobs	Nelson 5 / 5	Gallacher 4 / 5
United States v Great Britain & Ireland (1973 to 1977)
22nd	1977	15– 17 Sep	United States	121⁄2– 71⁄2	England GB & Ireland	Royal Lytham & St Annes, Lancashire	Dow Finsterwald	Brian Huggett	Wadkins 3 / 3	Faldo 3 / 3
21st	1975	19– 21 Sep	United States	21– 11	Pennsylvania United States	Laurel Valley Golf Club, Westmoreland County	Arnold Palmer	Bernard Hunt	Irwin 4.5 / 5	Oosterhuis 3.5 / 6
20th	1973	20– 22 Sep	United States	19– 13	Scotland GB & Ireland	Muirfield, East Lothian	Jack Burke Jr.	Bernard Hunt	Nicklaus 4.5 / 6	Oosterhuis 4 / 6
United States v Great Britain (1923 to 1971)
19th	1971	16– 18 Sep	United States	181⁄2– 131⁄2	Missouri United States	Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis	Jay Hebert	Eric Brown	Palmer 4.5 / 6	Gallacher 3.5 / 5
18th	1969	18– 20 Sep	Tied  United States retains	16– 16	England Great Britain	Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Merseyside	Sam Snead	Eric Brown	Hill 4 / 6	Jacklin 5 / 6
17th	1967	20– 22 Oct	United States	231⁄2– 81⁄2	Texas United States	Champions Golf Club, Houston	Ben Hogan	Dai Rees	Palmer; Dickinson 5 / 5	Thomas 3 / 5
16th	1965	7– 9 Oct	United States	191⁄2– 121⁄2	England Great Britain	Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Merseyside	Byron Nelson	Harry Weetman	Lema 5 / 6	Alliss 5 / 6
15th	1963	11– 13 Oct	United States	23– 9	Georgia United States	Atlanta Athletic Club, Atlanta	Arnold Palmer	John Fallon	Casper 4.5 / 5	Huggett 2.5 / 5
14th	1961	13– 14 Oct	United States	141⁄2– 91⁄2	England Great Britain	Royal Lytham & St Annes, Lancashire	Jerry Barber	Dai Rees	Palmer 3.5 / 4	Rees 3 / 4
13th	1959	6– 7 Nov	United States	81⁄2– 31⁄2	California United States	Eldorado Country Club Indian Wells	Sam Snead	Dai Rees	Finsterwald; Rosburg; Souchak 2 / 2	Alliss 1.5 / 2
12th	1957	4– 5 Oct	Great Britain	71⁄2– 41⁄2	England Great Britain	Lindrick Golf Club, Nottinghamshire	Jack Burke Jr.	Dai Rees	Mayer 1.5 / 2	Bousfield; Rees 2 / 2
11th	1955	5– 6 Nov	United States	8– 4	California United States	Thunderbird Country Club, Riverside County	Chick Harbert	Dai Rees	Bolt; Burke Jr.; Ford; Snead 2 / 2	Jacobs 2 / 2
10th	1953	2– 3 Oct	United States	61⁄2– 51⁄2	England Great Britain	Wentworth Club, Surrey	Lloyd Mangrum	Henry Cotton	Burke Jr. 2 / 2	Bradshaw; Daly 2 / 2
9th	1951	2– 4 Nov	United States	91⁄2– 21⁄2	North Carolina United States	Pinehurst Resort (No. 2), Moore County	Sam Snead	Arthur Lacey	Burke Jr.; Demaret; Hogan; Mangrum; Snead 2 / 2	Lees 2 / 2
8th	1949	16– 17 Sep	United States	7– 5	England Great Britain	Ganton Golf Club; Yorkshire	Ben Hogan	Charles Whitcombe	Demaret; Heafner 2 / 2	Adams 2 / 2
7th	1947	1– 2 Nov	United States	11– 1	Oregon United States	Portland Golf Club, Portland	Ben Hogan	Henry Cotton	Demaret; Mangrum; Nelson; Oliver; Snead; Worsham 2 / 2	King 1 / 2
1939, 1941, 1943, and 1945: No Ryder Cups because of World War II
6th	1937	29– 30 Jun	United States	8– 4	England Great Britain	Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Merseyside	Walter Hagen	Charles Whitcombe	Dudley; Guldahl 2 / 2	Rees 1.5 / 2
5th	1935	28– 29 Sep	United States	9– 3	New Jersey United States	Ridgewood Country Club, Bergen County	Walter Hagen	Charles Whitcombe	Picard; Revolta; Runyan; Sarazen 2 / 2	Whitcombe 1 / 1
4th	1933	25– 26 Jun	Great Britain	61⁄2– 51⁄2	England Great Britain	Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Merseyside	Walter Hagen	John Henry Taylor	Hagen; Sarazen 1.5 / 2	Easterbrook; Havers; Mitchell 2 / 2
3rd	1931	26– 27 Jun	United States	9– 3	Ohio United States	Scioto Country Club, Upper Arlington	Walter Hagen	Charles Whitcombe	Burke; Cox; Hagen; Sarazen; Shute; 2 / 2	Davies; Havers; Mitchell; Robson 1 / 2
2nd	1929	26– 27 Apr	Great Britain	7– 5	England Great Britain	Moortown Golf Club, Yorkshire	Walter Hagen	George Duncan	Diegel 2 / 2	Compston; Whitcombe 1.5 / 2
1st	1927	3– 4 Jun	United States	91⁄2– 21⁄2	Massachusetts United States	Worcester Country Club, Worcester County	Walter Hagen	Ted Ray	Farrell; Golden; Hagen; Watrous 2 / 2	Whitcombe 1.5 / 2

Reference : 2014 Media Guide; Ryder Cup website

Future Ryder Cup Locations

The Ryder Cup will continue to switch between the United States and Europe. Here are some of the places it will be held in the future:

Year	Edition	Hosts	Course	Location	Dates	Last hosted	Ref
2025	45th	United States	Bethpage Black Course, Bethpage State Park	Farmingdale, New York, United States	September 25–28	n/a
2027	46th	Europe	Adare Manor	Adare, County Limerick, Republic of Ireland		n/a
2029	47th	United States	Hazeltine National Golf Club	Chaska, Minnesota, United States		2016
2031	48th	Europe	Not yet awarded
2033	49th	United States	Olympic Club, Lake Course	San Francisco, California, United States		n/a
2035	50th	Europe	Not yet awarded
2037	51st	United States	Congressional Country Club, Blue Course	Bethesda, Maryland, United States		n/a

Watching the Ryder Cup on TV

The Ryder Cup is a very popular event to watch on television. In Britain, the BBC used to cover the matches. Later, Sky Sports became the main live broadcaster. They even temporarily change their golf channel name to 'Sky Sports Ryder Cup' during the tournament! The BBC still shows highlights.

In the United States, the Ryder Cup was first shown live on TV in 1983. Over the years, more and more of the event was broadcast live. Now, Golf Channel and NBC share the coverage, showing almost all the matches live. This increased TV coverage has helped the Ryder Cup become even more popular around the world.

Ryder Cup Records

Here are some cool records from the Ryder Cup:

• Most times playing: 12

* Phil Mickelson (USA), from 1995 to 2018.

• Most points scored: 28+1⁄2

* Sergio García (Europe) with a record of 25 wins, 13 losses, and 7 ties.

• Most points in singles matches: 7

* Colin Montgomerie (Europe) * Billy Casper (USA) * Lee Trevino (USA) * Arnold Palmer (USA) * Neil Coles (Great Britain/Great Britain & Ireland)

• Most points in foursomes matches: 13+1⁄2

* Sergio García (Europe)

• Most points in fourball matches: 10+1⁄2

* Ian Woosnam (Europe) * José María Olazábal (Europe) * Sergio García (Europe)

• Most points won by a pair: 12

* Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal (Europe)

• Most points in one Ryder Cup: 5

* Tony Lema (USA) in 1965 * Peter Alliss (Great Britain) in 1965 * Gardner Dickinson (USA) in 1967 * Arnold Palmer (USA) in 1967 * Tony Jacklin (Great Britain) in 1969 * Jack Nicklaus (USA) in 1971 * Larry Nelson (USA) in 1979 * Francesco Molinari (Europe) in 2018 * Dustin Johnson (USA) in 2021

• Youngest player: 19 years, 258 days

* Sergio García (Europe) in 1999

• Oldest player: 51 years, 20 days

* Raymond Floyd (USA) in 1993

Ryder Cup Traditions

The Ryder Cup has some special traditions and ways of honoring players.

• The "Envelope Rule": If a golfer gets injured and can't play their singles match, the opposing captain can choose one of their own players not to compete. Their match is then recorded as a tie. This "envelope rule" has been used three times since 1979.
• Honoring Legends: Teams often pay tribute to golf legends who have passed away.

* In 2012, the European captain Olazábal dedicated their victory to his friend Seve Ballesteros. Ballesteros was a huge part of the European team and had passed away in 2011. The European team even wore his favorite navy blue and white colors on the final day. * In 2016, both teams honored Arnold Palmer after he passed away just before the competition. Palmer was a very important figure in the Ryder Cup. His golf bag from a past competition was placed on the first tee to remember him. The US team also dedicated their victory to him.

Other Similar Golf Events

The Ryder Cup is one of several team golf events.

• Presidents Cup: This is like the Ryder Cup, but it's between the US team and a team of international players from outside Europe. It happens in the years when there's no Ryder Cup.
• Solheim Cup: This is the women's version of the Ryder Cup, with teams from the US and Europe competing.
• Junior Ryder Cup: A match for younger golfers (boys and girls) from the US and Europe.
• Walker Cup: A team event for amateur men from the US and Great Britain and Ireland.
• Curtis Cup: A team event for amateur women from the US and Great Britain and Ireland.