JUMP TO:
- Ryder Cup scoring system
- Match play vs. stroke play differences
- Ryder Cup format
- Four ball vs. foursomes in golf
The Ryder Cup is one of golf’s most celebrated events, but unlike traditional tournaments, its format is unique.
The 24-player competition between the United States and Europe unfolds over three days and features three distinct match-play formats.
Each format contributes to an overall points system, and the team with the most points at the end is crowned champion — holding the trophy until the next Ryder Cup two years later.
Here’s a complete guide to the Ryder Cup’s format and scoring system.
MORE: Scottie Scheffler's complete majors timeline
Ryder Cup scoring system
The Ryder Cup puts 28 points up for grabs. The first team to exceed 14 wins. Here is a look at how those points are earned.
How do you score points in the Ryder Cup?
The Ryder Cup consists of 28 matches, with each match worth one point. A victory earns a team one point, while a tie (known as a “halved” match) gives each side a half-point.
Points are awarded only at the conclusion of a match, based on who wins more holes overall. Teams do not earn points for winning individual holes during play.
MORE: Ranking the 5 toughest courses in U.S. Open history
How many points do you need to win the Ryder Cup?
14.5 points — or anything that is more than half of 28 — is enough for one team to win the Ryder Cup. The team that exceeds 14 becomes the new Ryder Cup champion, while a 14-14 tie would result in the previous champion retaining its title.
What does conceding a hole mean?
Because players are engaging in match play rather than stroke play, they do not have to play out each hole if they have already lost it. If the opposing player has already won the hole, the losing player can pick up his ball and move on to the next hole because, at that point, how many strokes it would take him to get the ball in the hole does not make a difference.
What happens if there is a tie in the Ryder Cup?
There are no extra holes in any Ryder Cup match, so a tie at the end of a match will result in each team receiving a half-point. In the event of a 14-14 tie at the end of all play at the Ryder Cup, the previous champion will retain its title.
MORE: What is a captain's pick for Ryder Cup?
Match play vs. stroke play differences
In traditional stroke play, every shot counts toward a player’s total score, and the golfer with the fewest strokes at the end of the round wins. Players aren’t competing directly on each hole but instead trying to compile the lowest overall score.
Match play, which is used at the Ryder Cup, works very differently. Each hole is a separate contest worth one point. If a player loses the first three holes in a singles match, they trail just 3–0, regardless of how badly those holes went, and could even the match by winning the next three.
Because only the result of each hole matters, players can even concede a hole once it’s clear they cannot win it. The score resets on the next tee, and the match continues until one side has won more holes than the other.
MORE: Explaining the differences between links golf and regular golf
Ryder Cup format
The Ryder Cup consists of three different match play formats over three days: Four ball, foursomes and singles. Here's what you need to know about each.
How does four ball work in golf?
Four-ball play simply allows a team of two to take the lowest score from each hole.
Four balls are in play, as the name indicates, as four-ball always involves four players. Each team only has to count the lowest of its two scores, however. That means a regrettable hole from one player won't negatively impact his team, unless, of course, his teammate also struggles. If each team's lowest score is equal, the hole is halved and the scores are effectively cancelled out.
The duo that wins the most holes wins the match and gives their team a point.
MORE: Everything you need to know about the Masters Green Jacket
How does a foursomes match work?
Foursomes also involve four total players, comprised of teams of two. Rather than use two balls as they will during the four-ball portion, each team only uses one ball. The players on each team alternate shots.
If player one takes the tee shot, for example, his teammate will take the next shot from where it lands, followed by player one again. The two players alternate shots until the ball is in the hole.
Team members alternate tee shots, with one taking the tee shots on even-numbered holes and the other taking the odd-numbered holes.
How does a singles match work?
Singles matches are exactly what they sound like: a head-to-head battle between two players, with the duos from four-ball and foursomes split up.
Each player from Team USA faces a counterpart from Team Europe on the final day of the Ryder Cup. A singles match still isn’t stroke play—players compete to win individual holes, and the golfer who wins the most holes earns a point for his team.
Any hole that ends tied is halved, effectively cancelling out the hole. If the match is tied after 18 holes, each side receives a half-point.
MORE: Ranking the best and worst golf movies of all time
Four ball vs. foursomes in golf
Both four-ball and foursomes involve four players comprised of teams of two, but the biggest difference between the two formats is the numbers of balls in play. In four-ball, there are four total balls in play, as the name indicates. In foursomes, there are four players but only two balls, with each team operating with only one ball.
Under the four-ball format, each player from a team plays his own ball, but only the lowest of the two scores is counted.
Under the foursomes format, each team operates with one ball, with players alternating shots. One player takes the tee shot on a given hole, and his teammate takes the next shot from wherever it lands. That cadence continues until the ball is in the hole, and players alternate tee shots from hole-to-hole.
MORE: How to pronounce Xander Schauffele's name