Ryder Cup FAQ: Everything You Need to Know
The Ryder Cup is one of golf’s most electric events, bringing together the best players from the U.S. and Europe in a team format unlike anything else in the sport. Here’s what you should know about this iconic competition.
What is the Ryder Cup?
The Ryder Cup takes its name from Samuel Ryder, an English businessman who fell in love with golf at age 50 and donated the original trophy. Ryder wanted to create a competition between American and British professionals, and the first matches were played in 1927. It’s been contested every two years since, with a few exceptions.
Following the September 11 attacks, the 2001 Ryder Cup was postponed a year, shifting the schedule to even-numbered years. The pandemic then forced the 2020 edition to be delayed, moving the competition back to odd-numbered years.
Where is the 2025 Ryder Cup?
The 45th Ryder Cup will be played September 26-28 on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York. The notoriously difficult public course has hosted two U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, and now gets its first Ryder Cup.
Wasn’t it originally U.S. vs. Great Britain?
Yes. For the first 50 years, the competition was between the U.S. and Great Britain & Ireland. That changed in 1979 when the European team was expanded to include continental Europe. Jack Nicklaus pushed for this change for two main reasons: to make the matches more competitive (the U.S. dominated 18-3-1 until then) and to include Spanish star Seve Ballesteros.
That decision transformed the competition completely.
How has Europe performed since the change?
Europe has flipped the script with a 12-9-1 record since 1979. Ballesteros became a Ryder Cup legend, going 20-12-5 in eight appearances before later captaining Europe to victory in 1997.
Europe hasn’t lost at home since 1993 and enters 2025 as the defending champion after defeating the U.S. 16½ to 11½ at Marco Simone in Italy in 2023.
How are Ryder Cup teams selected?
Both teams use a combination of automatic qualifiers and captain’s picks. For 2025, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley will have six automatic qualifiers from a points list and six captain’s selections. European captain Luke Donald will also have six qualifiers and six picks.
The qualification systems differ between teams, with each side using their own points list to determine automatic spots.
What’s the format of the competition?
The Ryder Cup unfolds over three days:
Friday and Saturday feature team play with morning and afternoon sessions. Each session has four matches between two-man teams. They’ll play foursomes (alternate shot) in the morning and fourballs (better ball) in the afternoon. As the home captain, Bradley gets to determine which format is played when.
Sunday is dedicated to singles matches, where all 12 players from each team compete in head-to-head matches.
How do foursomes and fourballs work?
Foursomes (alternate shot): Partners take turns hitting the same ball. One player tees off on odd-numbered holes, the other on even-numbered holes, and they alternate shots until the ball is holed.
Fourballs (better ball): Each player plays their own ball throughout the hole. The team’s score is the better score between the two partners on each hole.
All matches use match play scoring, meaning you win, lose, or halve individual holes rather than counting total strokes. Matches end when one team leads by more holes than remain to be played.
A match win earns one point for the team, while tied matches give each team a half-point.
What does “10 and 8” mean?
This refers to a lopsided match where one team is leading by 10 holes with only 8 holes left to play. Since it’s mathematically impossible for the trailing team to catch up, the match ends early. Such dominant victories are extremely rare in Ryder Cup play.
Do all team members play every session?
No. Each team session features four matches with two-player teams, meaning only 8 of the 12 team members compete while the other 4 sit out. Deciding who plays, who sits, and which players pair together is one of the captain’s most crucial strategic decisions.
How many points does it take to win?
With 28 total points available (16 from team matches and 12 from singles), a team needs 14½ points to win outright. However, if the matches end in a 14-14 tie, the defending champion retains the cup. Since Europe currently holds the trophy, they would keep it with a tie in 2025.
How are match pairings determined?
Captains submit their lineups to officials at specific deadlines without knowing what the other team has chosen. For Friday morning matches, lineups are due Thursday afternoon before the opening ceremony. Friday afternoon pairings are submitted just before the morning session ends.
Saturday follows a similar pattern, with Sunday singles lineups due Saturday evening. Each captain also places one player’s name in a sealed envelope – this player sits out if an opponent can’t compete due to injury.
Neither team knows the other’s selections until about five minutes after submission deadlines.
How can I watch the 2025 Ryder Cup?
TV coverage will be extensive across NBC’s networks. While the exact schedule for 2025 hasn’t been announced, coverage typically runs:
- Friday: 7AM-6PM (USA Network)
- Saturday: 7AM-6PM (NBC/Peacock)
- Sunday: Noon-6PM (NBC/Peacock)
You’ll also find additional coverage like “Breakfast at Bethpage” and “Live From the Ryder Cup” on various NBC platforms.
