Category: Ryder Cup

Significant moments in the history of the Ryder Cup, one of the game’s most riveting spectacles

The first Ryder Cup was played in 1927, and ever since has provided some of the most memorable moments in the sport.

Founded on the principles of goodwill and prestige rather than prize money, the Ryder Cup has matched the best male professional golfers from the United States against those in Great Britain and Ireland, then later all of Europe, for the past nine decades. Ahead of the matches at Whistling Straits, we look back at some of the Ryder Cup’s most significant moments since the inaugural meeting in 1927 at Worcester Country Club, then played over two days in early June.

Overall, the United States leads in the series with 26 wins against 14 defeats, and two matches have ended in ties.

While the U.S. won seven consecutive Ryder Cups between 1935-55, and captured 12 and tied one between 1959-83, Europe has dominated the past two decades. The Europeans have claimed seven of the last nine and nine of the last 12. Europe enjoyed its largest margin of victory, nine points, in 2004, then matched that in 2006.

Here’s a closer look at some of the more memorable matches.

Lynch: Brooks Koepka says he’s healthy, ready for Ryder Cup battle

Steve Stricker won’ need a 13th man after all. Brooks Koepka says he is healthy and will play for the U.S. next week.

Steve Stricker won’t need a 13th man after all. Brooks Koepka says he is healthy and will play for the U.S. in next week’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

Koepka’s participation had been in doubt since he withdrew during the third round of the Tour Championship 11 days ago after injuring his hand while hitting a tree root while attempting a shot. But the world No. 9 confirmed to Golfweek Wednesday night that he will be in Wisconsin.

“I’ll be there. I’m good to go,” he said via text message. “I’m feeling good. Been doing my rehab, doing everything I need to do to be ready for the Cup. I’ll be there ready to play.”

Koepka initially feared he had aggravated a wrist injury from three years ago and that he briefly lost feeling in his left arm. “When I hit the root I thought it was a stinger and my wrist was feeling weird,” he said. “I lost feeling to my elbow for a bit. Feeling came back from my elbow to mid-forearm two minutes later, but from mid-forearm to hand was kinda numb.”

Koepka felt he had no option but to withdraw from the FedEx Cup finale at East Lake. “I couldn’t continue because I had no grip strength in my left hand,” he said.

One day after that withdrawal, Koepka said his arm still felt tight so he had an MRI scan that indicated no broken bones. “The MRI showed us some stuff and just making sure it’s calmed down and got everything worked out,” he said. “Grip pressure has gotten back to normal.”

“Some ice, some rest, some soft tissue work and some rehab and we’re good to go,” he said.

Koepka told Golfweek he started practicing in the last few days and that U.S. captain Stricker has been kept informed on his progress throughout.

“The captain and vice-captains have been informed every step of the way and know I’ll be ready to go,” he said.

The Ryder Cup begins September 24.

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Paul Azinger on Brooks Koepka: ‘I’m not sure he loves the Ryder Cup that much’

NBC’s Paul Azinger was reacting to a question about the Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka dynamic.

Ryder Cup week is almost here. The buzz is building. The subplots are percolating. And NBC’s Paul Azinger is wondering out loud if everyone on the U.S. side is all in.

During a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, Azinger, who captained the 2008 U.S. squad to victory over Nick Faldo’s European team, was asked about the Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka dynamic.

“If you were in the position of being the U.S. captain, what would you say to Brooks and Bryson and some of the guys who have had, I guess, prickly relationships in the last few months?” he was asked.

Azinger said first off that everyone would need to set their issues aside, then remarked how DeChambeau and Koepka could lead the way, by putting “the United States on their shoulders and carry this Ryder Cup team.”

But “they can also be a royal pain in the neck,” he added before commenting on a recent Golf Digest article in which Koepka talked about several things, including the Ryder Cup.

“Brooks, when I just read that article, I’m not sure he loves the Ryder Cup that much,” Azinger said. “If he doesn’t love it, he should relinquish his spot and get people there who do love the Ryder Cup. Not everybody embraces it, but if you don’t love it and you’re not sold out, then I think Brooks should — especially being hurt, should consider whether or not he really wants to be there.”

Koepka is recovering from a wrist injury. He withdrew during the third round of the Tour Championship 11 days ago, two holes after he hit a tree root at impact while attempting an approach shot. He was the lone member of the 12-man U.S. squad to miss the two-day practice session at Whistling Straits last Sunday and Monday.

“Brooks is one of the most candid, most honest guys there is, and if he’s blatantly honest with himself and doesn’t want to be there, he should come out and say it,” Azinger said. “I don’t know, I’m a fan of both players. I just feel like it’s going to be one or the other. They’re going to put the weight of the team on their shoulders, or they’re going to be a pain in the neck.”

Koepka explained his Ryder Cup experiences in a the Digest interview with Matthew Rudy.

“It’s different. It’s hectic. It’s a bit odd, if I’m honest,” he said. “I don’t want to say it’s a bad week. We’re just so individualized, and everybody has their routine and a different way of doing things, and now, it’s like, OK, we have to have a meeting at this time or go do this or go do that. It’s the opposite of what happens during a major week. If I break down a major week, it’s so chill. You wouldn’t even believe me.”

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Padraig Harrington’s captains picks: Garcia, Lowry, Poulter round out Europe’s Ryder Cup team

European Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington selected Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry.

European Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington had half the number of picks to make – three – compared to U.S. Captain Steve Stricker but that didn’t make the decision-making process any easier in filling out his roster for the 43rd Ryder Cup.

Harrington opted to go with veteran Ryder Cup stalwarts in Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and rookie Shane Lowry.

On the final day of qualifying, Bernd Wiesberger and Lee Westwood squeaked on to the team as the final of nine automatic qualifying spots.

Harrington had previously said that Garcia and Poulter were virtual locks. That left one spot for first-timer Shane Lowry or a third veteran in England’s Justin Rose, 41, who went 2-2 in 2018 and had an overall record of 13-8-2 in his five previous appearances.

Lowry, the 34-year-old Irishman, won the 2019 British Open to stake his claim to his Ryder Cup debut for Team Europe.

“Nobody thinks of him as a rookie,” Harrington said.

Garcia, 41, didn’t play the BMW PGA Championship after competing in the FedEx Cup playoffs. A veteran of nine Ryder Cups, the Spaniard went 3-1 at the 2018 Ryder Cup to beoame Europe’s all-time leading points scorer with 25.5 points (22-12-7).

“This is something that he was made for,” Harrington said of Garcia’s Ryder Cup record. “He’s a very rounded player and there’s not a player on the team that doesn’t want to play with him.”

Poulter, 45, is set to compete in his seventh Ryder Cup. Nicknamed “The Postman” because he always delivers on Sunday – undefeated in six singles matches (5-0-1) – the Englishman went 2-2 in 2018 and owns an impressive lifetime mark of 14-6-2.

Captain’s picks date to 1979 for Team Europe and 1989 for the American side with the Europeans sporting a 74-71-14, and the American selections an all-time record of 49-54-20.

Forward Press Podcast: Previewing the Team USA’s captain’s picks for Whistling Straits

The gang gathers together to discuss who the six U.S. Ryder Cup captain’s picks should be for Whistling Straits.

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Welcome to episode 103 of Forward Press, a weekly podcast from Golfweek.

In this edition of the Forward Press Podcast, Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio, David Dusek and Adam Schupak all got together to discuss who they think the six captain’s picks should be for Steve Stricker and the U.S. Ryder Cup team for Whistling Straits later this month.

As always, you can download the Forward Press podcast and listen on all of your favorite platforms, including: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | Castbox | Radio Public.

Did you like what you heard? You can catch up on previous episodes of the Forward Press podcast here.

Rickie Fowler on a vice captaincy for U.S. Ryder Cup team: ‘I’d be there in a heartbeat’

“They’re such fun weeks to be a part of whether you’re playing or not,” said past Ryder Cupper Rickie Fowler.

Could Rickie Fowler be part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in September, after all?

While Fowler has an uphill climb to make the team on merit – he ranks 41st in the U.S. team point standings and only the top six automatically qualify – and his current form doesn’t suggest he’d be one of Steve Stricker’s six captain’s picks, Fowler said he’d be open to serving as a vice captain at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin for the Sept. 24-26 matches.

“With the position I’m in, age-wise, and yeah, I’d have to play my (rear) off the next few weeks to have a chance there, which like you said, it’s not out of the question. But yeah, if the team – if the guys wanted me there, I’d be there in a heartbeat,” he said. “They’re such fun weeks to be a part of whether you’re playing or not. Some of my favorite times have been when I’ve sat out and basically got to be there as, you know, a makeshift assistant captain in a way. You’re out there supporting the crew and being around.”

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Stricker already has named Davis Love III, Zach Johnson and Jim Furyk as vice captains and has said he would be interested in having Tiger Woods, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident in February, in that role as well.

Fowler, who served on the U.S. Ryder Cup Task Force, would be a popular choice in the locker room and has played on four U.S. Ryder Cup teams, including the victorious side in 2016, which thrived with Bubba Watson as a late addition in the vice captaincy role. Sergio Garcia served in a similar role when he was in the midst of a slump in 2010. Fowler has also represented Team USA on three winning Presidents Cup squads.

He added: “It’s a lot more fun playing, but just being a part of those weeks is very special. Yeah, if I got asked or had the opportunity to go be a part of it, it would be awesome. We’ll see if we can take advantage of the next month or so starting here this week and give ourselves an outside shot at it.”

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U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker wants player feedback on his six captain’s picks

“I want this to be a team effort. I want everybody to be all in on who these six picks are going to be and make it a team, a true team deal.”

American Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker will have a unique task ahead of this year’s match in September at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

As a result of several tournaments being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, the U.S. changed its selection criteria by increasing Stricker’s captain’s picks from four to six players. Stricker doesn’t believe it’ll be more difficult to make two more picks than usual. Not only that, he wants the other six players who automatically qualified for the team to have a say.

“I don’t think it’s going to be more difficult at all,” Stricker said during his press conference ahead of this week’s 50th playing of the John Deere Classic, an event he’s won three times. “After the top six make the team, I plan on seeing these six players and getting their feedback to the next six that we’re going to pick. I want this to be a team effort. I want everybody to be all in on who these six picks are going to be and make it a team, a true team deal.

“That’s my plan going forward.”

Last June when the changes were announced, Stricker said it became apparent the selection criteria would need to be amended due to the various changes to the 2020 schedule that would impact a player’s ability to earn points for qualification.

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“After many deliberate discussions, we collectively agreed that a smaller sampling of 2020 events — including just one major championship — would justify a one-week extension of the qualification window and an increase in the number of captain’s selections from four to six,” Stricker said at the time. “These changes were sparked by circumstance but conceived with integrity in mind. In the end, we believe they will allow us to put our best team together to compete at Whistling Straits in September.”

The Wisconsin resident recently won the Senior Players on the PGA Tour Champions but is back competing on the PGA Tour this week and skipping another Champions Tour major, the U.S. Senior Open at Omaha Country Club in Nebraska. Sure, the 54-year-old is on a bit of a Ryder Cup scouting mission, but don’t get it twisted. He wouldn’t be playing if he didn’t think he could win.

“I’ve got great memories here that I can kind of fall back on. I’ll use those to my advantage,” said Stricker, noting his three-peat of wins from 2009-11. “I’ve been playing well lately, so hopefully I can keep that rolling.

“But again, it’s a tall order. But that’s why I’m here, to see if I can’t try to do it.”

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New Nicklaus–Jacklin Award presented by Aon to debut at September’s Ryder Cup

The new award will debut at the September Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

When you think of the 1969 Ryder Cup, the first thought isn’t that the Americans retained the cup for the sixth straight event. It’s always the concession.

It’s been 52 years since Jack Nicklaus famously conceded a three-foot putt to Tony Jacklin that halved their match and resulted in the first tie in event history. That moment of pure sportsmanship has been discussed and re-lived before each playing of the biennial event between the United States and Europe since, and now it will live on through a new award.

On Tuesday in a joint release, the PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe and Aon announced the creation of the Nicklaus – Jacklin Award presented by Aon, which will be handed out for the first time to one player from each time at the upcoming 43rd Ryder Cup, held Sept. 24-26 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.

The award will be given to the player who best embodies the spirit of the event, “seeing the bigger picture and making decisions critical to sportsmanship, teamwork and performance at the Ryder Cup.”

“The excitement and energy surrounding the Ryder Cup always tests your poise, composure and decision-making, and when it matters most,” said Nicklaus, the 18-time major champion, two-time U.S. Ryder Cup captain and six-time player. “The challenge is that every decision is magnified to its fullest because we’re not playing for just ourselves, but we’re playing for our country, teammates, captains, and fans. I’m glad to see that everyone involved in the Ryder Cup is identifying the importance of the choices these players make in the heat of competition and on one of golf’s biggest stages, and that they are recognizing and celebrating individuals who approach this competition with the proper spirit and who put an emphasis on good will and camaraderie.”

“There’s always a decision that defines you in the Ryder Cup and to have an award that also highlights that decision is innovative for the game of golf and the Ryder Cup,” added Jacklin, a two-time major winner, four-time European Ryder Cup captain and seven-time play. “When I look back on my career, to be a part of Ryder Cups, the team atmosphere, and the importance of the decisions that followed – to giving players the opportunity to win an award based on that decision carries a lot of weight and will be a key accomplishment in their career.”

The following committee will select the inaugural recipients: Jack Nicklaus, Tony Jacklin, other past European and U.S. Ryder Cup Captains, PGA of America President Jim Richerson, PGA of Great Britain and Ireland Chairman Alan White, representatives from Sky and NBC Sports and Carlo Clavarino, Aon’s Executive Chairman of International Business.

“Since its inception, the Ryder Cup was imagined as a spirited but friendly competition amongst allies. At its core, this remarkable tradition is based on the fundamental pillars of sportsmanship, teamwork and performance,” said Seth Waugh, PGA of America, CEO. “We want to recognize and celebrate that key foundational tenet and so in collaboration with Aon, created an award to honor Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin’s historic act from 1969 that exemplified those honorable traits and set the stage for the future of the Ryder Cup.”

“The players are the beating heart of the Ryder Cup,” said European Ryder Cup Director Guy Kinnings. “Once every two years, these individual giants of our sport come together as a team and have to make decisions under the utmost scrutiny that not only affects themselves, but also their team-mates, their fans and their continent.

“Decision-making under such intense pressure is a crucial part of any Ryder Cup. It is fitting, therefore, that this new award, presented by Aon, not only recognizes the decisions that ultimately characterize success, but also the sportsmanship which has defined many of them over history and will continue to do so.”

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New Nicklaus–Jacklin Award presented by Aon to debut at September’s Ryder Cup

The new award will debut at the September Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

When you think of the 1969 Ryder Cup, the first thought isn’t that the Americans retained the cup for the sixth straight event. It’s always the concession.

It’s been 52 years since Jack Nicklaus famously conceded a three-foot putt to Tony Jacklin that halved their match and resulted in the first tie in event history. That moment of pure sportsmanship has been discussed and re-lived before each playing of the biennial event between the United States and Europe since, and now it will live on through a new award.

On Tuesday in a joint release, the PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe and Aon announced the creation of the Nicklaus – Jacklin Award presented by Aon, which will be handed out for the first time to one player from each time at the upcoming 43rd Ryder Cup, held Sept. 24-26 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.

The award will be given to the player who best embodies the spirit of the event, “seeing the bigger picture and making decisions critical to sportsmanship, teamwork and performance at the Ryder Cup.”

“The excitement and energy surrounding the Ryder Cup always tests your poise, composure and decision-making, and when it matters most,” said Nicklaus, the 18-time major champion, two-time U.S. Ryder Cup captain and six-time player. “The challenge is that every decision is magnified to its fullest because we’re not playing for just ourselves, but we’re playing for our country, teammates, captains, and fans. I’m glad to see that everyone involved in the Ryder Cup is identifying the importance of the choices these players make in the heat of competition and on one of golf’s biggest stages, and that they are recognizing and celebrating individuals who approach this competition with the proper spirit and who put an emphasis on good will and camaraderie.”

“There’s always a decision that defines you in the Ryder Cup and to have an award that also highlights that decision is innovative for the game of golf and the Ryder Cup,” added Jacklin, a two-time major winner, four-time European Ryder Cup captain and seven-time play. “When I look back on my career, to be a part of Ryder Cups, the team atmosphere, and the importance of the decisions that followed – to giving players the opportunity to win an award based on that decision carries a lot of weight and will be a key accomplishment in their career.”

The following committee will select the inaugural recipients: Jack Nicklaus, Tony Jacklin, other past European and U.S. Ryder Cup Captains, PGA of America President Jim Richerson, PGA of Great Britain and Ireland Chairman Alan White, representatives from Sky and NBC Sports and Carlo Clavarino, Aon’s Executive Chairman of International Business.

“Since its inception, the Ryder Cup was imagined as a spirited but friendly competition amongst allies. At its core, this remarkable tradition is based on the fundamental pillars of sportsmanship, teamwork and performance,” said Seth Waugh, PGA of America, CEO. “We want to recognize and celebrate that key foundational tenet and so in collaboration with Aon, created an award to honor Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin’s historic act from 1969 that exemplified those honorable traits and set the stage for the future of the Ryder Cup.”

“The players are the beating heart of the Ryder Cup,” said European Ryder Cup Director Guy Kinnings. “Once every two years, these individual giants of our sport come together as a team and have to make decisions under the utmost scrutiny that not only affects themselves, but also their team-mates, their fans and their continent.

“Decision-making under such intense pressure is a crucial part of any Ryder Cup. It is fitting, therefore, that this new award, presented by Aon, not only recognizes the decisions that ultimately characterize success, but also the sportsmanship which has defined many of them over history and will continue to do so.”

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Cheers! European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington buys a round for caddies ahead of Irish Open.

What’s better than a free beer?

A free beer goes a long way, especially in golf. And especially for professional caddies.

With the Ryder Cup – September 24-26 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin – inching getting closer and closer, European captain Padraig Harrington wanted to give thanks to those who carry the bags ahead of his home nation’s Irish Open this week on the European Tour.

“I’d like to buy all the caddies in the field a drink to thank you all for the support that I know you will be giving Team Europe in September,” wrote Harrington in a post shared by the Team Europe account on Twitter. “We may be a European team, but we are a global tour so no matter what country you are from (including America!) please enjoy a drink on me at your hotel bar.”

What a classy move by the three-time major champion. It might not be on the sportsmanship level of Jack Nicklaus’ concession, but it’s definitely a tastier concession.