RYDER CUP FORMAT: How does Ryder Cup scoring work? Scoring format and more

How does Ryder Cup scoring work? Scoring format and more

Modified Sep 28, 2023 12:39 GMT

Italy Ryder Cup Golf — Colin Morikawa plays his tee shot during a practice round ahead of the Ryder Cup

The 2023 Ryder Cup is scheduled to be played from September 29 to October 1 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club outside Rome, Italy. This is the first time the tournament is taking place in Italy, as Europe looks to continue its dominance on home turf.

Over the three days in Rome, some of the biggest players in the sport will be battling it out to earn a few points for their respective teams. The biennial event will be played over three days, five sessions, and three formats.

Overall, there are 28 matches to be played over the course of three days. Each match will carry one point for a win and none for a loss. In case of a tie, the points will be halved between the two teams. To win the Ryder Cup, a team must score at least 14.5 points.

If both teams end up tied at 14-14 after all the matches, the defending team will retain the title. A similar situation occurred at the Solheim Cup last Sunday when Europe held the trophy after both teams ended in a tie.

Ryder Cup Format

The first two days of the Ryder Cup will each consist of one session of foursome and fourball matches.

Team Europe captain Luke Donald has stated that the hosts will start with foursomes. In that case, the morning session will be foursomes, followed by four four-ball matches in the afternoon. The third day will have 12 singles matches taking place.

Here's a detailed look at all the three formats:

Foursomes: In this format, each team plays with just one ball per hole. The players tee off alternately, with one member starting on the odd-numbered holes while the other tees off on the even-numbered holes.

In each hole, both players take shots alternately until the hole is concluded. The low-scoring team will be awarded one point, and in case of a tie, points will be halved.

Four-ball: In this format, both teams play with two players, and each player plays with their own ball. Hence, the format is named four-ball because all four balls are in action.

However, the teams on each hole count only the lower of the two scores. The team with the lowest score at the end of the match will be declared the winner. Points will be halved in case of a tie.

Singles: One player from each team faces off against each other, and the one ending with the lower score wins one point for the team. Similarly, like the other two formats, the hole is halved in case of a tie.