Since the rest of Europe came to rescue Great Britain and Ireland after yet another United States victory in 1977, the Ryder Cup became one of the fiercely competitive sports events on the planet.
Apart from the occasional one-sided battering, many of these 21 editions have been keenly contested, including 10 that were decided by just two points or fewer.
Europe have won 11 of these contests compared to USA’s nine while there has just been one tie back in the dramatic 1989 edition at the Belfry.
It therefore goes without saying that every session is crucial – but this video will delve much deeper in a bid to identify the key statistical trends behind each facet of this fascinating biennial battle.
Overall Ryder Cup record since 1979
– Ryder Cups won: Europe 11-9 USA (1 tied)
– Total points won: Europe 295.5-292.5 USA
– Total matches won: Europe 254-247 USA (87 halves)
– Total sessions won: Europe 44-42 USA (19 ties)
Singles strength
– Singles points won: Europe 119-133 USA (1 tied)
– Singles sessions won: Europe 8-13 USA
– Singles matches won: Europe 100-114 USA (38 halves)
Team work makes the dream work
– Foursomes matches won: Europe 77-73 USA (18 ties)
– Foursomes sessions won: Europe 17-13 USA (12 ties)
– Foursomes points won: Europe 86-82 USA
– Fourballs matches won: Europe 77-64 USA (27 ties)
– Fourballs sessions won: Europe 19-16 USA (7 ties)
– Fourballs points won: Europe 90.5-77.5 USA
Why haven’t USA won in Europe since 1993?
– Foursomes sessions won: Europe 9-5 USA (6 ties)
– Foursomes matches won: Europe 39-30 USA (11 ties)
– Foursomes points won: Europe 44.5-35.5 USA
– Fourballs sessions won: Europe 12-7 USA (1 tie)
– Fourballs matches won: Europe 39-28 USA (13 ties)
– Fourballs points won: Europe 45.5-34.5 USA
– Singles sessions won: Europe 5-5 USA
– Singles matches won: Europe 50-50 USA (20 ties)
– Singles points won: Europe 60-60 USA
– Overall sessions won: Europe 26-17 USA (7 ties)
– Overall matches won: Europe 128-108 USA (44 ties)
– Overall points won: Europe 150-130 USA
Singles comebacks
– USA’s overall singles dominance has only helped them pull off two successful comebacks in the 11 editions they’ve found themselves behind. In 1993 they were only 8.5-7.5 behind but in 1999 they stormed the 18th green to celebrate ‘that’ record comeback from 10-6 in Brookline.
– Europe have also only come back from a day two deficit twice – although they’ve only found themselves in that position on four fewer occasions than the Americans. Both of those came on US fairways in 1995 and 2012 when trailing 9-7 and 10-6 respectively.
If you win the singles, do you win the Cup?
– On the eight occasions Europe have come out on top in the singles sessions they’ve won the Ryder Cup. That happened in 1985 (Europe), 1995, 2002 (Europe), 2004, 2006 (Europe), 2012, 2014 (Europe) and 2018 (Europe).
– USA have won 13 singles sessions and lifted nine of those Ryder Cups – although one of those years (1989) resulted in a 14-14 tie. Their singles successes in 1987, 1997, and 2010 were unable to prevent Europe hanging on to their previously built leads.
Europe the top scorer kings
When Dustin Johnson picked up a perfect five points in 2021, he became the first American since 1999 to be Ryder Cup top scorer.
Even when they lifted the trophy in 2008 and 2016, it was Ian Poulter and Thomas Pieters who kept this individual honour in European hands.
And when you consider Hal Sutton shared this status with four European’s in 1999, you have to go back to Corey Pavin in 1995 for the last time an American player won this outright.
This tends to be because Europe’s best players are regularly selected in five sessions whereas USA have traditionally rotated their ‘wider’ pool of talent a little bit more.
One final interesting fact – the last time an American was top scorer on European soil was way back in 1981 when the trio of Nelson, Nicklaus and Trevino shared it.
So what happens in Rome?
If this year’s Ryder Cup in Rome follows these historical trends, these are the most likely outcomes and scenarios:
– USA will get off to a fast start on the first morning – especially if it’s foursomes
– Europe will claw their way back by the end of day two and probably lead
– Europe will win the singles and lift the trophy on home soil…again
– The top points scorer will be European, play in every session and end up with four points
But as we all know in sport, records are there to be broken and history books are there to be rewritten…
