Ryder Cup Format Explained

We explain how the Ryder Cup works ahead of the bienniel showdown at Bethpage Black between Europe and the USA

Transcript

00:00Every two years, Team USA and Team Europe duel it out for the Ryder Cup, but it's a

00:04very different tournament to the ones you see week in, week out on tour.

00:07So let's take a closer look at how the Ryder Cup works.

00:10In total, 28 matches are played out over the Ryder Cup, with each match being worth one

00:15point.

00:16Now, the magic number to get your win across the line is 14.5 points.

00:19However, in a situation where both teams have 14 points, the previous team that won it will

00:24retain it.

00:26Winning a match gets each team one point, but in the situation where it is halved, both

00:30teams get half a point.

00:32There are 12 players on each team, and eight players will take part in the foursomes and

00:36four balls, with all 12 going head-to-head in the singles format.

00:40The event takes place over three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the first two days

00:44being split into two sessions, but let's take a look at how each day works out.

00:49Friday's action consists of four foursomes matches and four four balls matches, and we'll

00:53come on to how those work shortly, but the captain of the home team gets to pick in which order

00:58those are played.

00:59For example, in 2021, Team USA captain Steve Stricker decided to put the foursomes in the

01:03morning and the four balls in the afternoon.

01:05Saturday's action is exactly the same.

01:07Four foursomes matches and four four balls matches, one going out in the morning and one

01:11in the afternoon.

01:12Finally, Sunday sees all 12 players go out in head-to-head match play format, with 12 points

01:17up for grabs.

01:18Okay, so now let's take a look at the formats, and first up we have foursomes.

01:22Now, foursomes is an alternate stroke system, so whoever tees off, the other player in their

01:26team will hit the second shot, and that will continue until the ball is in the hole.

01:30As it's a match play situation, whichever duo takes the least amount of shots to get in

01:34the hole wins that hole.

01:35However, if they take the same amount, the hole is halved.

01:39Players will take turns teeing off, so one player will have the even holes and one player will

01:42have the odd holes, regardless of who hit the final shot on the previous hole.

01:47In four ball format, everyone plays their own ball, so four balls are always in play.

01:51Now, if I make a four and my partner makes a three, we take the three, and if the three

01:55is the lowest score across both teams, we win the hole.

01:58Sunday singles are a straight shootout, with the best score on each hole winning the hole.

02:03However, Ryder Cup there are no playoffs, so if the game is all square at 18, both teams

02:07get half a point.

02:08So there you have it, that is how the Ryder Cup works.

02:11Now will Team Europe win on American soil for the first time since the miracle at Medina?

02:15Well, you'll have to tune in to find out.