Ryder Cup 101

24 of the world’s best players will tee it up in less than two weeks at the Bethpage Black course in Farmingdale, New York, for the 45th playing of the Ryder Cup. This year’s event will begin on September 26th and will take place over three days with 28 total matches. Ever since the inaugural competition in 1927, it has evolved into one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events. Every two years, the best players from Europe and the United States go head-to-head in a match play format, with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe.

In the all-time standings, Team USA leads the series 27-15 with two ties. At the last Ryder Cup in 2023, held at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy, Team Europe defeated Team USA 16.5-11.5.

Teams: The qualifying criteria for each team are different. For the U.S., a points system has been in place since the 2019 season with players collecting points up until the completion of the 2025 BMW Championship. Automatic qualifiers include Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Harris English, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, and Bryson DeChambeau, each bringing a combination of experience and recent form to the roster. The remaining six spots were filled by captain Keegan Bradley following the conclusion of the 2025 PGA TOUR season. Bradley’s selections were Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Ben Griffin, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, and Cameron Young.

Qualification for Team Europe began at the 2024 BMW PGA Championship, the fourth Rolex Series event of the 2024 season. It concluded on August 24, 2025, when the six players (Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, and Rasmus Hojgaard) who qualified automatically were confirmed. These six automatic qualifiers comprised the three leading players on the European Points List, followed by the three leading players on the World Points List. European Captain Luke Donald selected Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Sepp Straka as his six “Captain’s Picks” to complete the European roster.

Format: The Ryder Cup uses a match play format instead of the typical stroke play format that is used each week on the PGA Tour. Match play is a form of competition where a player (or players) plays directly against an opponent (or opponents) in a head-to-head match. You win a hole by completing it in the fewest number of strokes, and you win a match when you are winning by more holes than remain to be played. Since 1979, the Ryder Cup has consisted of two days of four-ball and foursome matches, along with one day of singles matches.

FOUR-BALL Each member of a two-man team plays his own ball, so four balls are in play on every hole. Each team counts the lowest of its two scores on each hole, and the team whose player has the lowest score wins the hole. If the low scores are tied, the hole is halved.

FOURSOMES Each two-man team plays one ball per hole, with the players taking turns until each hole is complete. Players alternate hitting tee shots, with one leading off on odd-numbered holes, and the other hitting first on even-numbered holes. The team with the low score on each hole wins that hole. If their scores are tied, the hole is halved.

SINGLES Each match features one player from each team. The player with the lower score on each hole wins that hole. If their scores are tied, the hole is halved. Players can concede a hole to their opponent if they have no chance of halving the hole.

Scoring: Each match is worth one point, with matches ending in a tie worth ½ point to each side. There are no extra holes in Ryder Cup matches. The first team to reach 14 ½ points wins the Ryder Cup. If the matches end in a 14-14 tie, the team holding the Ryder Cup retains it.