Ryder Cup
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ryder Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in an event called the "Ryder Cup Matches" by teams from Europe and the United States. The Matches are jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour.
The competition began following an exhibition match in 1926 of a team representing American professionals against a similar one representing the British PGA on the East Course, Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey, UK.
Early matches between the two sides were fairly even, but after the Second World War, repeated US dominance[1] led to a decision to extend the representation of the British & Irish[2] team to Europe in 1979. This change was partly prompted by the success of a new generation of Spanish golfers of the time including Severiano Ballesteros. He and Antonio Garrido were the first Spaniards to play in the event in 1979. Europe has also been represented since then by players from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden.
As a result of this change the event has enjoyed more competitive matches and since 1985 Europe has begun to dominate in the way that the Americans had done in the thirty years after World War II.
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[edit] Format
The Ryder Cup Matches involve various match play matches between players selected from two teams of twelve. Currently, the matches consist of eight foursomes matches, eight fourball matches and twelve singles matches. The winner of each match scores a point for their team, with ½ a point each for any match that is tied after 18 holes.
A foursomes match is a competition between two teams of two golfers. The golfers on the same team take alternate shots throughout the match, with the same ball. Each hole is won by the team that completes the hole in the fewest shots. A fourball match is also a competition between two teams of two golfers, but all four golfers play their own ball throughout the round rather than alternating shots, and each hole is won by the team whose individual golfer has the lowest score. A singles match is a standard matchplay competition between two golfers.
The matches take place over three days, Friday through Sunday. On the Friday, there are four fourball matches and four foursomes matches in the afternoon. On the Saturday, the same schedule repeats. On the Sunday, there are twelve singles matches. Not all players need play on Friday and Saturday; the captain can select any eight players for each of the four rounds of play over these two days.
The format has changed over the years. From the inaugural event through 1959 the Ryder Cup was a two-day competition, with four 36-hole foursomes matches on the first day and eight 36-hole singles matches on the second day, for a total of 12 points. In 1961 the matches were changed to 18 holes each but the number of matches was doubled, resulting in a total of 24 points. In 1963 the event was expanded to three days, with eight fourball matches being added on the middle day to make 32 points. This format remained until 1977, when the number of matches was reduced to 20: five foursomes matches on the first day, five fourball matches on the second day, and ten singles matches on the final day. In 1979, the first year continental European players participated, the format was changed to the 28-match version in use today.[3]
[edit] Founding of the Cup
There is some debate over who suggested the idea for the Ryder Cup. James Harnett, a journalist with Golf Illustrated magazine appears to have proposed a similar idea to the USPGA on December 15, 1920 and, having failed to attract support, the idea was refloated by Sylvanus P. "SP" Jermain, president of the Inverness Club, the next year. This resulted in an unofficial match in 1921, won 9–3 by the British, and another in 1926, won 13½–1½ by Britain. Present at the second 1926 match, held on the East Course at Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey, was St. Albans' seed merchant, Samuel Ryder. Having watched the play, Mr Ryder thought it would be good idea to make the match official and thus the Ryder Cup was founded, with Ryder donating the trophy.[4]
Few people who took up golf after their 50th birthday have left as many positive impressions on the game during the history of golf. To get started Ryder recruited the services of a golf professional called Hill from a local golf course to introduce him to the fundamentals of golf. Afterwards Ryder hired Abe Mitchell as his private tutor for a fee of £1,000 per year. Ryder received most of his lessons at his home, Marlborough House and he was relentless. He practised his driving, pitching and putting six days each week.
At the age of 51 he had achieved a handicap of six and was accepted as a member of the Verulam Golf Club in St Albans in 1910. A year later he became captain of the golf club. He was also club captain in 1926 and 1927. In 1923 he sponsored the Heath and Heather Tournament which was only open to professionals. One of the golf professionals that took part was ex-gardener Abe Mitchell, considered one of best British golfers of his era.
Among the British, at the 1926 landmark match, were golfing giants Abe Mitchell, George Duncan, Archie Compston, Ted Ray (portrayed by Stephen Marcus in the 2005 film The Greatest Game Ever Played), and Arthur Havers. From America came Walter Hagen, Tommy Armour, Jim Barnes and Al Watrous.
This first official match was held in Massachusetts in 1927. Ryder, who donated a gold cup and had agreed to pay £5 to each member of the winning team, attached his name to the new competition. It has been held on a two year cycle since, apart from 1939 to 1945 when it was cancelled due to World War II.
The 2001 match was delayed for a year, as it was due to take place very shortly after the September 11 attacks. It was subsequently decided to hold the Ryder Cup in even-numbered years instead of odd-numbered years. The boards at The Belfry Golf Course, which hosted the 2002 Ryder Cup (which should have been hosted in 2001) still read The 2001 Ryder Cup and Captain, Curtis Strange deliberately referred to the US team as "The 2001 Ryder Cup Team" in his speech at the closing ceremony.
[edit] Controversial Ryder Cups
[edit] 1969
The 1969 Cup held at Royal Birkdale was perhaps one of the best and most competitive contests in terms of play (18 of the 32 matches went to the last green), but it was also marred by acrimony and gamesmanship between some players. In one of golf's most memorable moments of sportsmanship, Jack Nicklaus, playing in his first Ryder Cup Matches, conceded a two-footer to Tony Jacklin after making a four-footer for par on the last green. The 'gimme' was very generous; Jacklin was far from assured of making it. Nicklaus said: 'I don't think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances, I would never give you the opportunity.' The result was the first tie in the Matches' history (the US retained the Cup) but some of Nicklaus' teammates including captain Sam Snead were less than pleased. This match was mentioned on the February 20, 2007 episode of Gilmore Girls.
[edit] 1991
After accusing each other of cheating at The Belfry in 1989, the feud between Seve Ballesteros and Paul Azinger escalated at Kiawah Island in 1991. Azinger: 'I can tell you were not trying to cheat.' Ballesteros: 'Oh no. Breaking the rules and cheating are two different things.' The constant goading intensified their desire to win and with their partners, José María Olazábal and Chip Beck respectively, they produced what is regarded as the best pairs match in history, the Spaniards winning 2&1.
[edit] 1999
The 1999 Ryder Cup held at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., caused great controversy. A remarkable comeback by the American team helped propel the U.S. to a 14.5-13.5 victory after trailing 10-6 heading into the final day. The U.S. went 8-3-1 in singles matches to seal the first American victory since 1993.
The competition turned on the 17th hole of a match between American Justin Leonard and Spaniard José María Olazábal. The match being all square at the 17th hole, Leonard needed to earn at least a half-point by either winning one of the last two holes (therefore earning a full point), or finishing the match at all square (therefore earning a half-point) to seal an American victory. After Olazábal's second shot left him with a 22-foot putt on the par-4, Leonard hit his shot within 10 feet of the hole and then watched it roll away from the cup, leaving him with a 45-foot putt for birdie. While sinking a putt of this length is unlikely, Leonard had made putts of 25 and 35 feet earlier in the round. Leonard holed the astounding putt, and a wild celebration ensued with other U.S. players, their wives, and a few fans running onto the green. Had Leonard's putt sealed the match, this type of behavior would have been inappropriate but moot. Knowing that a made putt would extend the match while a miss would assure Leonard of a half-point and the U.S. a victory (the Americans needed 14.5 points to gain the cup due to the Europeans' 1997 victory at Valderrama), Olazábal tried to regain his focus. However, he missed the difficult putt, and the American team celebrated once again (although the second celebration was more reserved than the first one).
According to the "Best of the Rest" section of ESPN's Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame program, NBC footage and press photos prove that no official rules (Ryder Cup or PGA) were broken when the Americans celebrated after Leonard's putt (i.e. no one walked in or crossed Olazábal's putting line). However, the game of golf is upheld by many to be "the gentleman's game," and there remain a number of unwritten rules and codes of conduct which the European players believe were being ignored. Many of the American players believed the Europeans' response was hypocritical; they argued that European players - in particular Severiano Ballesteros - had been guilty of excessive celebration and gamesmanship as far back as the 1985 Ryder Cup match, without attracting the same opprobrium from the European media.
There was still considerable bad blood after the match with some of the European players complaining about the behavior of the American galleries throughout the match. Sam Torrance branded it "disgusting," while European captain Mark James referred to it as a "bear pit" in a book recounting the event[5]. There were also reports that his wife was spat at by a spectator.[6]
Following the 1999 Ryder Cup, a number of the members of the U.S. team apologized for their behavior, and there were numerous attempts by both teams to calm the increasing nationalism of the event. These efforts appears to have been largely successful with subsequent Cups being played in the "spirit of the game."
[edit] Results
^ - Delayed one year due to September 11th attacks.
NB: The 1969 and 1989 tournaments were drawn, so the Cup remained with the previous victors.
[edit] Records
[edit] Team
- Most holes-in-one all-time: Europe 6 (US 1)
[edit] Individual
- Most appearances on team: 11 - Nick Faldo (Europe/GB&I), 1977-97
- Most points: 25 - Nick Faldo (Europe/GB&I), 1977-97
- Youngest player: Sergio García (19 years, 258 days), Europe, 1999
- Oldest player: Raymond Floyd (51 years, 20 days), USA, 1993
[edit] Ryder Cup Holes-in-One
- Peter Butler, 1973, Muirfield
- Nick Faldo, 1993, The Belfry
- Costantino Rocca, 1995, Oak Hill
- Howard Clark, 1995, Oak Hill
- Paul Casey, 2006, K Club
- Scott Verplank, 2006, K Club
For individual European player records see List of European Ryder Cup golfers.
For individual American player records see List of American Ryder Cup golfers.
[edit] Similar events in golf
Other regular international team golf events include:
- Solheim Cup — The women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup, featuring the same U.S. vs. Europe format, played in the years the Ryder Cup is not played.
- Presidents Cup — Men's event, held in odd-numbered years, with the same format as the Ryder Cup, except that the competing sides are a U.S. side and an International side consisting entirely of players whose citizenship makes them ineligible for the Ryder Cup.
- Walker Cup — Event for amateur men. Unlike the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup has never adopted a U.S.-Europe format. The U.S. side is opposed by a team drawn from Great Britain and Ireland.
- Curtis Cup — Women's amateur event directly analogous to the Walker Cup. Like the Walker Cup, the competition format is U.S. vs. Great Britain and Ireland.
- Lexus Cup — Women's professional event held annually beginning in 2005 and sanctioned by the LPGA. The competing teams are an Asia team and an International team of players from the rest of the world.
- UBS Cup — A discontinued event for men similar to the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. The competing sides were USA and Rest of the World. Six golfers on each side had to be 50 or over, and the remaining six in their forties (2001-2004).
- The Seve Trophy — A European professional men's event, founded by Seve Ballesteros, that pits a side from Great Britain and Ireland against one from continental Europe.
- Tommy Bahama Challenge — An annual professional men's event, operated by the U.S. PGA Tour, that pits USA and International (rest of the world) professionals no older than 30.
- Palmer Cup — An annual match between U.S. and European college/university golfers.
- Tavistock Cup — An annual match between Isleworth and Lake Nona country club featuring some of the world's best professionals.
- Chrysler Cup — A former event between United States and International senior professionals (1986-1995).
- Dynasty Cup — Men's event, held in odd-numbered years, similar format as the Ryder Cup, between Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour golfers, started 2003.
- Royal Trophy — An annual match between Asia and Europe, started 2006.
[edit] Similar events in other sports
[edit] Notes
- ^ Britain won only once between 1947 and 1977, and matches were frequently very one-sided.
- ^ The first golfer from the Republic of Ireland to play on the Ryder Cup team was Harry Bradshaw in 1953. Fred Daly from Northern Ireland first played in 1947.
- ^ Ryder Cup Match History. Retrieved on 2007-03-24.
- ^ The figure of the golfer on top of the gold trophy is purported to be Abe Mitchell, the professional who taught Samuel Ryder how to play the game.
- ^ Into the Bear Pit: The Hard-hitting Inside Story of the Brookline Ryder Cup, ISBN 1-85227-854-4
- ^ CNN report 'A Mob demonstration'
- ^ http://www.rydercup.com/2006/europe/history/all_time_records.html
- ^ http://www.rydercup.com/2006/usa/history/all_time_records.html
- ^ http://au.news.yahoo.com/060923/15/10nft.html
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Ryder Cup playing format explained
- Ryder Cup Diary - Unofficial News, Views and Insider Information
- Ryder Cup History More on the history of the Ryder Cup.
