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.
Summary There have been a total of 1068 individual matches played in the 45 Ryder Cups. Of these the United States has won 511, Europe (including Great Britain/Great Britain and Ireland up to 1977) has won 408 with 149 matches halved. Thus the United States have scored a total of 585½ points to Europe's 482½.
Team All Ryder Cups 36 hole matches 18 hole matches Overall Singles Foursomes Fourballs Overall Singles Foursomes Overall Singles Foursomes Fourballs won 511 257 147 107 94 61 33 417 196 114 107 won 408 185 128 95 48 33 15 360 152 113 95Halved 149 76 30 43 14 10 4 135 66 26 43 points 585½ 295 162 128½ 101 66 35 484½ 229 127 128½ points 482½ 223 143 116½ 55 38 17 427½ 185 126 116½Total 1068 518 305 245 156 104 52 912 414 253 245
36 holes matches were played up to 1959, 18 hole matches from 1961 onwards. Fourball matches were first played in 1963. The table includes four 18 hole singles matches (in 1979, 1991, 1993 and 2025) which were not actually played because of injury but were declared as halved matches.
Holes-in-one The following players have scored a hole-in-one.
Europe 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
United States Hole Player Match Type Year 14th at The K Club Scott Verplank Scott Verplank won 4 & 3 v Pádraig Harrington Singles 2006
Largest margins of victory in a match 36 hole matches (to 1959) All victories by 7 or more holes for Europe and by 8 or more holes for the United States are listed.
Europe 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.
United States 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
18 hole matches (from 1961) All victories by 5 or more holes for Europe and by 6 or more holes for the United States are listed.
Europe 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.
United States 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
Most frequent pairings Pairings used 7 or more times for Europe and 5 or more times for the United States are listed.
Europe Pairing Number Points FirstYear LastYear Overall RecordW–L–H Foursomes RecordW–L–H Fourballs RecordW–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
United States Pairing Number Points FirstYear LastYear Overall RecordW–L–H Foursomes RecordW–L–H Fourballs RecordW–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 Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele 6 3 2021 2025 3–3–0 3–3–0 0–0–0 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
Age-related records The ages given are on the first day of the Ryder Cup. Generally the leading 5 in each category are given.
Youngest players
Europe Age Player Year Date of Birth Date of Cup Sergio García 1999 9 January 1980 24 September 1999 Nick Faldo 1977 18 July 1957 15 September 1977 Paul Way 1983 12 March 1963 14 October 1983 Bernard Gallacher 1969 9 February 1949 18 September 1969 Ken Brown 1977 9 January 1957 15 September 1977
United States Age Player Year Date of Birth Date of Cup Horton Smith 1929 22 May 1908 26 April 1929 Jordan Spieth 2014 27 July 1993 26 September 2014 Tiger Woods 1997 30 December 1975 26 September 1997 Rickie Fowler 2010 13 December 1988 1 October 2010 Horton Smith 1931 22 May 1908 26 June 1931
Oldest players
Europe Age Player Year Date of Birth Date of Cup Ted Ray 1927 28 March 1877 3 June 1927 Christy O'Connor Snr 1973 21 December 1924 20 September 1973 Dai Rees 1961 31 March 1913 13 October 1961 Lee Westwood 2021 24 April 1973 24 September 2021 George Duncan 1931 16 September 1883 26 June 1931 The oldest rookie was Ted Ray in 1927. Excluding Ray, who was playing in the first Ryder Cup, Tom Haliburton who was in 1961 is the oldest European rookie.
United States Age Player Year Date of Birth Date of Cup Raymond Floyd 1993 4 September 1942 24 September 1993 Jay Haas 2004 2 December 1953 17 September 2004 Raymond Floyd 1991 4 September 1942 27 September 1991 Phil Mickelson 2018 16 June 1970 28 September 2018 Fred Funk 2004 14 June 1956 17 September 2004 The oldest rookie was Fred Funk in 2004.
Longest lived players
Europe Age Player Birth Death Ted Jarman 2 July 1907 9 May 2003 Peter Mills 14 May 1931 Living John Panton 9 October 1916 24 July 2009 Aubrey Boomer 1 November 1897 2 October 1989 Sam King 27 March 1911 24 February 2003
Peter Mills is the only survivor from the 1957 and 1959 matches.
United States Age Player Birth Death Jack Burke Jr. 29 January 1923 19 January 2024 Gene Sarazen 27 February 1902 13 May 1999 Doug Ford 6 August 1922 14 May 2018 Byron Nelson 4 February 1912 26 September 2006 Paul Runyan 12 July 1908 17 March 2002
† denotes age at death, or, if living, age as of
Captains Youngest Ryder Cup captain: Arnold Palmer – in 1963 Youngest European captain: Charles Whitcombe – in 1931 Youngest non-playing captain: Ben Hogan – in 1949 Youngest non-playing European captain: Tony Jacklin – in 1983 Oldest Ryder Cup captain: Tom Watson – in 2014 Oldest European captain: J.H. Taylor – in 1933 Oldest playing captain: Ted Ray – in 1927 Oldest playing United States captain: Sam Snead – in 1959
References