The Ryder Cup 2023

The Ryder Cup is a short golf blog post that looks at the biggest event on the golfing calendar. Since 1927 this biennial trophy has been played for between two teams. Originally, the two teams were GB and the USA. For the first 50-odd years, it was quite one-sided due to the strength of Team USA. The USA dominated the matches until 1979 when the teams changed to Europe against the USA. This evened things up making the matches a lot more entertaining. The Ryder Cup Itself We all know what it looks like, but what do we know about it? The trophy itself is only 17 inches tall and is kept at The Professional Golfers Association, The Belfry. On top of the trophy stands a golfer, addressing the ball. This golfer is not Samuel Ryder (the founder of the trophy) but his Golf Coach and friend, Abe Mitchell It weighs only 64 ounces and is made of Gold. The trophy originally cost 250.00 pounds to make in 1927 which, in today’s money, would cost approximately 16000.00 pounds. The Teams Team Europe The European Captain Luke Donald – Captain of Team Europe Team USA The USA captain Zach Johnson Captain of Team USA The Ryder Cup Format There are a total of 28 matches over 3 days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Each match is worth 1 point. Europe lost the Ryder Cup in 2021 at Whistling Straits, Haven 19-9 Opening Ceremony 17:00 Day 1 – Friday 4 x Foursomes (Alternate Shots) 4 x Fourballs (Best Score Counts) Day 2 – Saturday 4 x Foursomes (Alternate Shots) 4 x Fourballs (Best Score Counts) Day 3 – Sunday 12 x Singles (Individual Matchplay) Closing Ceremony 17:30 Memorable Matches 1989 – The Belfry – Jacklins Heroes This was made famous by the heated discussion between Seve and Azinger. Seve was convinced that his ball was scuffed but Azinger and the referee decided otherwise. 1991 – Kiawah Island – The War on the Shore Part two of the Seve versus Azinger feud. This time Seve noticed that Paul Azinger and Chip Beck had swapped balls during play. This started a war against them both out on the course until Seve and his partner Olazabal eventually won 2&1. Due to this friction, Seve went on to say that Team USA has 11 nice guys and Paul Azinger. 1999 – The Country Club – Battle of Brookline After Justin Leonard holed a monster 45ft putt on the 17th green, Team USA started the celebrations early as Olazabal still had to putt out. This was really seen as poor sportsmanship by Team Europe. Read the book ‘Into the Bear Pit’ by Sam Torrance for some amazing insights. 2012 – Medinah Country Club – The Miracle at Medinah With Olazabal as the Captain, his team managed to come back from 10-6 down to win 14.5-13.5 due to the spirit of Seve on everyone’s shoulders. Spain’s daily sports newspaper Marca ran the headline: “This one is for you, Seve”. The Ryder Cup 2023 This year the matches will be played at Marco Simone Golf in Rome. Despite the controversy of the European Team Captain changes, it is hotting up to be a real battle of the Gladiators. Who will win? We will have to wait and see. The 2025 Ryder Cup The matches will be played at Bethpage Black. Still one of the only courses to have a warning sign on the first tee. Secure your tickets now by clicking the following link Your Golf Travel What are your thoughts on The Ryder Cup 2023? Have I missed something important? Please leave a comment by filling out a Contact Form. To read more of my golf blog posts, click here.