In the Ryder Cup, professional golfers usually play by themselves, trying to win on their own. But in this special event that happens every two years, they form two teams: one from the United States and one from Europe. These teams compete to win a special trophy, and there’s no prize money – it’s all about pride.
They take turns playing the Ryder Cup in the United States and Europe. In the past, it used to be the U.S. against Britain, or Britain and Ireland, and the U.S. was really good at it, winning 18 times out of 22. But in 1979, they made it tougher for the U.S. by including all of Europe in the competition. Since then, Europe has won 11 times, the U.S. 9 times, and they tied once. The U.S. hasn’t won on European soil since 1993. That’s a long time! Can they break that streak this weekend in Italy?
Here’s how to watch the Ryder Cup in 2023:
- Dates: Friday to Sunday.
- Location: It’s happening at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, just outside Rome.
Now, let’s talk about how they play and score in the Ryder Cup:
- They play matches over three days, and it’s a type of golf called “match play.” Team captains decide which players compete in each match, and there are different formats like foursomes, four-ball, and singles.
- Scores on each hole are either tied, or one player is ahead by a certain number of strokes.
For scoring:
- They play 28 matches in total during the tournament.
- If a team wins a match, they get one point. If it’s a tie, they each get half a point.
- The team that currently has the Cup (which the U.S. won in 2021) needs 14 points to keep it, so Europe needs 14½ points to take it away.
Sometimes, matches don’t go all the way to 18 holes. If one player is winning by a lot with just a few holes left, they call it early, and the final score will show how many holes the winner was ahead.
So, scoring can be a bit confusing, but what matters most is the overall score that determines the winning team.
This year, the Ryder Cup is in Italy at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. It’s the first time they’ve hosted it. The course was designed by an American architect named Jim Fazio in 1989, and it’s named after an old castle nearby. This course has hosted other big golf tournaments too.
It’s a beautiful place to play golf, with lots of open space and great views of the city.
Image Source: https://www.si.com/golf/news/2023-ryder-cup-bettors-roundtable-golf-gambling-experts-writers-break-down-matches