The Ryder Cup. What’s it all about?

The simple answer is this; The Ryder Cup is played every other year between teams of golfers representing the U.S. and Europe. With a reputation of being the greatest team event, today’s matches are played on a grand scale, with extensive media coverage plus a full dose of pomp and circumstance, but the Ryder Cup started humbly.

Samuel Ryder, the original sponsor donated the trophy. A businessman who’d made his fortune selling herbs and seeds, Ryder was born in Preston, in the north of England, in 1858. In the 1890s, he and his wife started their own mail-order seed business. The creation of the Ryder Cup was as much out of love for the game as it was an effort to sell product. In 1908, Ryder fell into poor health and, at the urging of a local church minister, decided to take up golf. He began with lessons from a professional who would visit his home.

The matches began in 1927, but a couple of transatlantic team matches came along before it. The first took place at Gleneagles, Scotland, in 1921, to increase the number of American professionals competing in the British Open. “The plan was to have the American team make its stand at Gleneagles while the American delegation is over for the British Open.

In the next contest Ryder and his brother James suggested that a team match be set up against American professionals who planned to travel to Britain and try to qualify for that year’s British Open. The Wentworth Club, just outside London, was chosen because it was close to Sunningdale, one of the qualifying sites. The British team won the matches by the score of 13 1/2 to 1 1/2, but the results did not make it into the record books because the American team included transplanted players born outside the United States. There were two Scots, two Englishmen, and one Australian. The PGA of America could not possibly have endorsed it.

When the actual cup appeared has been the main source of argument. The official story goes that Samuel Ryder was in the gallery at the matches at Wentworth and became enchanted with the whole concept. He later found himself in the company of several players in the clubhouse and commented, “We must do this again.” At the prodding of some players, Ryder agreed to donate a trophy. It was 19 inches high and fashioned from solid gold. Its hallmark read “1927,” and on the very top stood a tiny likeness of Abe Mitchell, one of the top British professionals of the day and the personal swing guru to Sam Ryder.

Beginning on Friday, September 19, this year’s matches will begin between these teams at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentuck. By now we all know that due to injury, Tiger Woods will not be playing. 
Team USA: Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Ben Curtis, Boo Weekley. Captain’s picks: Steve Stricker, J.B. Holmes, Hunter Mahan, Chad Campbell.

Team Europe: Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Soren Hansen, Oliver Wilson. Captain’s picks: Ian Poulter, Paul Casey

Past matches from the most recent to 1979 are entered below, with the final score, location, captains and a recap of each event.

2006
Europe 18 1/2, United States 9 1/2
Location: The K Club, Straffan, Co., Kildare, Ireland
Captains: Ian Woosnam (Eur.), Tom Lehman (U.S.)
The only thing that didn’t go according to plan for the Europeans at the K Club was having Darren Clarke make the winning putt. Clarke, who is from Northern Ireland and whose wife had died of cancer just weeks before the start of play, was the sentimental leader of the European team. Again, the Europeans dominated each session of the match, and their win marked the first time they had won three Ryder Cups in a row.

2004
Europe 18 1/2, United States 9 1/2
Location: Oakland Hills CC, Bloomfield Township, Mich.
Captains: Bernhard Langer (Eur.), Hal Sutton (U.S.)
From the start, everything went right for the Europeans and wrong for the Americans. Having built an impressive 11-5 lead going into the singles, the Europeans need just 3 1/2 points to retain the cup, but they won 7 1/2 to set a record for the largest margin of victory in Ryder Cup history.

2002
Europe 15 1/2, United States 12 1/2
Location: The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, England
Captains: Sam Torrence (Eur.), Curtis Strange (U.S.)
After being delayed a year due to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Ryder Cup matches returned to the Belfry in 2002. Europe won the first four singles matches and halved the fifth to build momentum that the United States could not contain. When Paul McGinley halved his match against Jim Furyk, Europe’s convincing victory was clinched and the second-guessing of Curtis Strange, who put his best singles players at the bottom of his line-up, began.

1999
United States 14 1/2, Europe 13 1/2
Location: The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.
Captains: Ben Crenshaw (U.S.), Mark James (Eur.)
Known as the “Battle at Brookline,” this Ryder Cup will be remembered for the Sunday comeback by the United States. Although they had won eight of 11 singles matches, the overall competition came down to Justin Leonard and Jose Maria Olazabal’s singles match. Improbably, Leonard erased a four-hole deficit with seven holes to play, then drained a 45-foot putt on the 17th hole that came to be known as the “Putt Heard Round the World.” When Olazabal missed his 25-foot birdie putt, Leonard had the lead, and while the Spaniard made an 18-foot birdie to halve the match on 18, the United States won the cup.

1997
Europe 14 1/2, United States 13 1/2
Location: Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, Spain
Captains: Seve Ballesteros (Eur.), Tom Kite (U.S.)
This Ryder Cup competition was the first staged on the continent of Europe, and the home team built a commanding 10 1/2 to 5 1/2 lead after two days of play. Although they won the singles 8-4, the United States was not able to overcome the deficit and Europe retained the cup. Amazingly, Tiger Woods (1997 Masters winner), Justin Leonard (1997 British Open winner) and Davis Love (1997 PGA Championship winner) went a combined 1-9-3.

1995
Europe 14 1/2, United States 13 1/2
Location: Oak Hill CC, Rochester, N.Y.
Captains: Bernard Gallacher (Eur.), Lanny Wadkins (U.S.)
Down two points after two days of play, the European team staged an inspired comeback behind little-known Philip Walton of Ireland and Howard Clark of England. Walton held off a late charge from Jay Haas and Clark defeated Peter Jacobson after hitting a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th. Ryde Cup rookie Phil Mickelson was a lone bright spot for the United States, going 3-0.

1993
United States 15, Europe 13
Location: The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, Engand
Captains: Tom Watson (U.S.), Bernard Gallacher (Eur.)
Going into the final day’s singles, the United States trailed Europe by one point. However, the United States staged a comeback behind Ryder Cup rookie Davis Love, who edged Costantino Rocca, and Chip Beck, who came back from three hole deficit to defeat Barry Lane. Amazingly, Raymond Floyd, the oldest Ryder Cup player ever at age 51, defeated Jose Maria Olazabal 2-up.

1991
United States 14 1/2, Europe 13 1/2
Location: The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, S.C.
Captains: Dave Stockton (U.S.), Bernard Gallacher (Eur.)
This contest, one of the most hotly contested in Ryder Cup history, came to be known as The War on the Shore. In the end, it all came down to Bernhard Langer and Hale Irwin’s singles match on Sunday. After conceding Irwin’s 1-foot bogey putt on the final hole, Langer raced a 45-foot birdie putt six feet past the hole. When he agonizingly missed the par putt, their match was halved and the United States reclaimed the cup for the first time since six years.

1989
Europe 14, United States 14
Location: The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, England
Captains: Tony Jacklin (Eur.), Raymond Floyd (U.S.)
Echoing Ben Hogan’s introduction of his team in 1967, Raymond Floyd introduced his team at a pre-event dinner as, “the 12 greatest players in the world.” However, after two days Europe led 9-7 behind the stellar play of Ballesteros and Olazabal. Eventually, the matched ended in the second tie in Ryder Cup history and Europe retained the cup.

1987
Europe 15, United States 13
Location: Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio
Captains: Tony Jacklin (Eur.), Jack Nicklaus (U.S.)
Europe built a 10 1/2 to 5 1/2 going into the weekend, led by in inspired play of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal. Europe’s win was their first-ever on American soil. Ben Crenshaw, one of the game’s best putters, grew so frustrated during his match again Ireland’s Eamonn Darcy that he snapped his putter after six holes. The Texan putted with his 1-iron and sand wedge the rest of the day before losing.

1985
Europe 16 1/2, United States 11 1/2
Location: The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, England
Captains: Tony Jacklin (Eur.), Lee Trevino (U.S.)
When Craig Stadler, playing with Curtis Strange, missed a three-foot putt on the final hole to halve their match against Bernhard Langer and Sandy Lyle instead of win it, the tenor of the competition changed and Europe took a 9-7 lead going into Sunday’s singles matches. Scotland’s Sam Torrance holed an 18-foot putt on the 18th hole to defeat U.S. Open champion Andy North to secure Europe’s first Ryder Cup victory in 28 years.

1983
United States 14 1/2, Europe 13 1/2
Location: PGA National Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Captains: Jack Nicklaus (U.S.), Tony Jacklin (Eur.)
Having never won a Ryder Cup in contested in the United States, the European team nearly claimed the prize. The two teams were tied 8-8 after two days of play. As Dan Jenkins wrote in Sports Illustrated, “What Nicklaus told his stalwarts before he sent them out on Sunday was more in the tradition of Knute Rockne than Harry Vardon . ‘I will not’ he said, ‘be the first captain to blow this thing. Now you guys show me some brass.’”

1981
United States 18 1/2, Europe 9 1/2
Location: Walton Health GC, Surrey, England
Captains: Dave Marr (U.S.), John Jacobs (Eur.)
This Ryder Cup competition was over almost before it started, with the United States jumping out to a 7-1 lead after the first day of competition. The powerful pairing of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson earned three points for the U.S. and Nicklaus finished a perfect 4-0 over three days.

1979
United States 17, Europe 11
Location: The Greenbrier, W. Va.
Captains: Billy Casper (U.S.), John Jacobs (Eur.)
This was the first Ryder Cup to include players from continental Europe alongside players from England and Ireland. Nick Faldo went 4-1, but he was overshadowed by the performance of the United States’ Larry Nelson, who was a perfect 5-0.

Here’s a list of captains prior to 1979:
1977 - Dow Finsterwald - Brian Huggett
1975 - Arnold Palmer - Bernard Hunt
1973 - Jack Burke Jr. - Bernard Hunt
1971 - Jay Hebert - Eric Brown
1969 - Sam Snead - Eric Brown
1967 - Ben Hogan - Dai Rees
1965 - Byron Nelson - Harry Weetman
1963 - Arnold Palmer - John Fallon
1961 - Jerry Barber - Dai Rees
1959 - Sam Snead - Dai Rees
1957 - Jack Burke Jr. - Dai Rees
1955 - Chick Harbert - Dai Rees
1953 - Lloyd Mangrum - Henry Cotton
1951 - Sam Snead - Arthur Lacey
1949 - Ben Hogan - Charles Whitcombe
1947 - Ben Hogan - Henry Cotton
1937 - Ben Hogan - Henry Cotton
1935 - Walter Hagen - Charles Whitcombe
1933 - Walter Hagen - J.H. Taylor
1931 - Walter Hagen - Charles Whitcombe
1929 - Walter Hagen - George Duncan
1927 - Walter Hagen - Ted Ray

Ryder Cup trivia question:
How many Ryder Cup matches did Greg Norman play in?
How many did he win?