The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. Originally contested between Great Britain and the United States, the first official Ryder Cup took place in 1927. The representation of "Great Britain and Ireland" was extended to include continental Europe from 1979.
In all the following tables Europe includes Great Britain/Great Britain and Ireland up to 1977.
For details of individual players' complete Ryder Cup records see: List of European Ryder Cup golfers and List of American Ryder Cup golfers.
There have been a total of 1040 individual matches played in the 44 Ryder Cups. Of these the United States has won 501, Europe (including Great Britain/Great Britain and Ireland up to 1977) has won 396 with 143 matches halved. Thus the United States have scored a total of 572½ points to Europe's 467½.[1]
Team | All Ryder Cups | 36 hole matches | 18 hole matches | ||||||||
Overall | Singles | Foursomes | Fourballs | Overall | Singles | Foursomes | Overall | Singles | Foursomes | Fourballs | |
United States won | 501 | 251 | 145 | 105 | 94 | 61 | 33 | 407 | 190 | 112 | 105 |
Europe won | 396 | 184 | 122 | 90 | 48 | 33 | 15 | 348 | 151 | 107 | 90 |
Halved | 143 | 71 | 30 | 42 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 129 | 61 | 26 | 42 |
United States points | 572½ | 286½ | 160 | 126 | 101 | 66 | 35 | 471½ | 220½ | 125 | 126 |
Europe points | 467½ | 219½ | 137 | 111 | 55 | 38 | 17 | 412½ | 181½ | 120 | 111 |
Total | 1040 | 506 | 297 | 237 | 156 | 104 | 52 | 884 | 402 | 245 | 237 |
36 holes matches were played up to 1959, 18 hole matches from 1961 onwards. Fourball matches were first played in 1963. The table includes three 18 hole single matches (in 1979, 1991 and 1993) which were not actually played because of injury but were declared as halved matches.
The following players have scored a hole-in-one.[2]
Hole | Player | Match | Type | Year |
16th at Muirfield | Peter Butler | Brian Barnes & Peter Butler lost 1 hole v Jack Nicklaus & Tom Weiskopf | Foursomes | 1973 |
14th at The Belfry | Nick Faldo | Nick Faldo halved with Paul Azinger | Singles | 1993 |
6th at Oak Hill | Costantino Rocca | Sam Torrance & Costantino Rocca won 6 & 5 v Davis Love III & Jeff Maggert | Foursomes | 1995 |
11th at Oak Hill | Howard Clark | Howard Clark won 1 hole v Peter Jacobsen | Singles | 1995 |
14th at The K Club | Paul Casey | Paul Casey & David Howell won 5 & 4 v Stewart Cink & Zach Johnson | Foursomes | 2006 |
Hole | Player | Match | Type | Year |
14th at The K Club | Scott Verplank | Scott Verplank won 4 & 3 v Pádraig Harrington | Singles | 2006 |
All victories by 7 or more holes for Europe and by 8 or more holes for the United States are listed.[3]
Margin | Winner | Loser | Type | Year |
10 & 8 | George Duncan | Walter Hagen | Singles | 1929 |
9 & 8 | Abe Mitchell | Olin Dutra | Singles | 1933 |
9 & 7 | Fred Daly | Ted Kroll | Singles | 1953 |
The largest victory in a foursomes match was a 7&5 win by Aubrey Boomer & Charles Whitcombe against Leo Diegel & Bill Mehlhorn in 1927.
Margin | Winner | Loser | Type | Year |
10 & 9 | Walter Hagen & Denny Shute | George Duncan & Arthur Havers | Foursomes | 1931 |
10 & 9 | Ed Oliver & Lew Worsham | Henry Cotton & Arthur Lees | Foursomes | 1947 |
9 & 8 | Leo Diegel | Abe Mitchell | Singles | 1929 |
9 & 8 | Paul Runyan & Horton Smith | Bill Cox & Ted Jarman | Foursomes | 1935 |
All victories by 5 or more holes for Europe and by 6 or more holes for the United States are listed.[3]
Margin | Winner | Loser | Type | Year |
9 & 7 | Ludvig Åberg & Viktor Hovland | Scottie Scheffler & Brooks Koepka | Foursomes | 2023 |
7 & 5 | José María Cañizares & José Rivero | Tom Kite & Calvin Peete | Foursomes | 1985 |
7 & 5 | Ian Woosnam & Bernhard Langer | Paul Azinger & Payne Stewart | Foursomes | 1993 |
6 & 5 | Dave Thomas & George Will | Arnold Palmer & Dave Marr | Foursomes | 1965 |
6 & 5 | Nick Faldo & Peter Oosterhuis | Andy Bean & Tom Kite | Foursomes | 1979 |
6 & 5 | Des Smyth & José María Cañizares | Bill Rogers & Bruce Lietzke | Fourball | 1981 |
6 & 5 | Seve Ballesteros & José María Olazábal | Tom Watson & Mark O'Meara | Fourball | 1989 |
6 & 5 | Ian Woosnam & Peter Baker | Fred Couples & Paul Azinger | Fourball | 1993 |
6 & 5 | Sam Torrance & Costantino Rocca | Davis Love III & Jeff Maggert | Foursomes | 1995 |
6 & 5 | Luke Donald & Lee Westwood | Steve Stricker & Tiger Woods | Foursomes | 2010 |
The largest victory in a singles match has been a 5&4 win, achieved 9 times, firstly by Bernard Hunt against Jerry Barber in 1961.
Margin | Winner | Loser | Type | Year |
8 & 7 | Tom Kite | Howard Clark | Singles | 1989 |
8 & 7 | Fred Couples | Ian Woosnam | Singles | 1997 |
7 & 6 | Miller Barber | Maurice Bembridge | Singles | 1969 |
7 & 6 | Lee Trevino | Brian Huggett | Singles | 1971 |
7 & 6 | Hale Irwin & Tom Kite | Ken Brown & Des Smyth | Foursomes | 1979 |
7 & 6 | Paul Azinger & Mark O'Meara | Nick Faldo & David Gilford | Foursomes | 1991 |
7 & 6 | Tom Lehman | Ignacio Garrido | Singles | 1997 |
7 & 6 | Keegan Bradley & Phil Mickelson | Lee Westwood & Luke Donald | Foursomes | 2012 |
The largest victory in a fourball match has been a 7&5 win by Lee Trevino & Jerry Pate against Nick Faldo & Sam Torrance in 1981.
Pairings used 7 or more times for Europe and 5 or more times for the United States are listed.[4]
Pairing | Number | Points | First Year |
Last Year |
Overall Record W–L–H |
Foursomes Record W–L–H |
Fourballs Record W–L–H |
Seve Ballesteros & José María Olazábal | 15 | 12 | 1987 | 1993 | 11–2–2 | 6–1–1 | 5–1–1 |
Peter Alliss & Christy O'Connor Snr | 12 | 5.5 | 1959 | 1969 | 5–6–1 | 4–4–1 | 1–2–0 |
Brian Barnes & Bernard Gallacher | 10 | 5.5 | 1973 | 1979 | 5–4–1 | 2–3–0 | 3–1–1 |
Nick Faldo & Ian Woosnam | 10 | 6 | 1987 | 1991 | 5–3–2 | 2–1–2 | 3–2–0 |
Neil Coles & Bernard Hunt | 8 | 2.5 | 1963 | 1967 | 2–5–1 | 1–2–1 | 1–3–0 |
Darren Clarke & Lee Westwood | 8 | 6 | 1999 | 2006 | 6–2–0 | 3–1–0 | 3–1–0 |
Justin Rose & Henrik Stenson | 8 | 6 | 2014 | 2018 | 6–2–0 | 3–1–0 | 3–1–0 |
Neil Coles & Christy O'Connor Snr | 7 | 3.5 | 1963 | 1973 | 3–3–1 | 2–1–0 | 1–2–1 |
Tony Jacklin & Peter Oosterhuis | 7 | 4 | 1973 | 1975 | 3–2–2 | 1–1–1 | 2–1–1 |
Nick Faldo & Colin Montgomerie | 7 | 3.5 | 1993 | 1995 | 3–3–1 | 3–1–0 | 0–2–1 |
Bernhard Langer & Colin Montgomerie | 7 | 5.5 | 1991 | 2002 | 5–1–1 | 3–0–1 | 2–1–0 |
Sergio García & Lee Westwood | 7 | 5 | 2002 | 2008 | 4–1–2 | 2–0–1 | 2–1–1 |
Pairing | Number | Points | First Year |
Last Year |
Overall Record W–L–H |
Foursomes Record W–L–H |
Fourballs Record W–L–H |
Jordan Spieth & Justin Thomas | 9 | 4.5 | 2018 | 2023 | 4–4–1 | 2–3–0 | 2–1–1 |
Patrick Reed & Jordan Spieth | 7 | 5 | 2014 | 2016 | 4–1–2 | 1–0–2 | 3–1–0 |
Larry Nelson & Lanny Wadkins | 6 | 4 | 1979 | 1987 | 4–2–0 | 2–1–0 | 2–1–0 |
Tom Kite & Curtis Strange | 6 | 2.5 | 1987 | 1989 | 2–3–1 | 2–1–1 | 0–2–0 |
Phil Mickelson & David Toms | 6 | 3.5 | 2002 | 2006 | 3–2–1 | 2–1–1 | 1–1–0 |
Steve Stricker & Tiger Woods | 6 | 2 | 2010 | 2012 | 2–4–0 | 1–2–0 | 1–2–0 |
Webb Simpson & Bubba Watson | 6 | 3 | 2012 | 2018 | 3–3–0 | 1–2–0 | 2–1–0 |
Julius Boros & Tony Lema | 5 | 3.5 | 1963 | 1965 | 3–1–1 | 3–0–1 | 0–1–0 |
Gardner Dickinson & Arnold Palmer | 5 | 5 | 1967 | 1971 | 5–0–0 | 4–0–0 | 1–0–0 |
Keegan Bradley & Phil Mickelson | 5 | 4 | 2012 | 2014 | 4–1–0 | 2–1–0 | 2–0–0 |