Will Team USA snap its Ryder Cup slump? The Americans will try to win their first title since 2008 as the 41st edition of the event gets underway Friday at Hazeltine National Golf Club:
Who is competing in the Ryder Cup?
• Team USA, captained by Davis Love III (roster), vs. Team Europe, captained by Darren Clarke (roster)
How is the Ryder Cup scored?
• There are 28 points available, one per match (eight on Friday, eight on Saturday and 12 on Sunday). The side that wins each match gets one point, and each side gets half a point when matches are tied (all square) through 18 holes.
• The defending champion, in this case Team Europe, retains the Ryder Cup in the event of a tie, so Team USA needs at least 14 1/2 points to win.
When does the Ryder Cup start?
Here is the complete schedule for the event:
Thursday, Sept. 29
• Opening ceremony 5:50-6 p.m. ET (around this time, the Friday morning foursomes pairings will be announced)
Friday, Sept. 30 (Golf Channel)
• Four morning foursomes (alternate shot) matches starting at 8:35 a.m. ET
• Four afternoon four-ball matches starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET, with play expected to last about six hours
Saturday, Oct. 1 (NBC)
• Four morning foursomes (alternate shot) matches starting at 8:35 a.m. ET
• Four afternoon four-ball matches starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET, with play expected to last about six hours
Sunday, Oct. 2 (NBC)
• Twelve singles matches starting at 12:04 p.m. ET
• Play concludes approximately 6 p.m. ET, followed by the trophy presentation and closing ceremony
Where is the Ryder Cup being played?
The course: Hazeltine National Golf Club
Location: Chaska, Minnesota
Par and yardage: 72 and 7,628 yards
Course designer: Robert Trent Jones
Majors hosted at Hazeltine: 2009 PGA Championship (won by Y.E. Yang), 2002 PGA Championship (won by Rich Beem), 1991 U.S. Open (won by Payne Stewart) and 1970 U.S. Open (won by Tony Jacklin)
What do these terms mean?
All square: The score is tied.
Dormie: In match-play scoring, when a player or team is leading the match by the number of holes that remain to be played. For example, if a player is 3-up with three holes to play, his opponent is considered dormie. The leading player in that scenario can do no worse than halve the match and needs only to halve or win one more hole to clinch victory.
Captain's pick: Each team has a set number of players (eight for Team USA, nine for Team Europe) who automatically qualify via a points system. The remaining spots on each 12-man roster were filled by captain's picks.
Conceded: At any point in a match, a player or pairing can concede a shot or hole to the opponent. This typically happens on the putting greens, when players assume their opponent will make a 2-foot putt. It's often a source of gamesmanship between opposing teams as to which putts are conceded and which are not.
Four-ball matches: Each of the two players per team plays his own ball, with the low score on each side counting for the hole. Using match-play scoring, the best score wins the hole, and a tie halves the hole.
Foursomes matches: This is more widely known as "alternate shot." One player per team tees off, and his partner takes the second shot. Partners continue alternating shots until the hole is completed or conceded, using match-play scoring. Partners also alternate tee shots as they move from hole to hole.
Halving: When both teams register the same score on a hole in match play. It also pertains to when a match is tied after 18 holes, which results in half a point for each side.
Singles: There are 12 singles matches of head-to-head match-play competition. If tied after 18 holes, each side earns half a point.
What else should you know?
• Ryder Cup players and captains don't get paid. According to the PGA of America, which runs the event when it is held in the United States, $2.6 million is allocated to charities of the competitors' choice.
• The Ryder Cup is usually held every two years. The exceptions were a 10-year gap from 1937 to 1947 because of World War II and a three-year gap from 1999 to 2002 because the 2001 event was postponed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
• From the Ryder Cup's inception in 1927 until 1971, it was the United States vs. Great Britain. It was the U.S. vs. Great Britain/Ireland in 1973, '75 and '77, before it changed to the current format of Team USA vs. Team Europe in 1979.
• Europe has won three consecutive Ryder Cups and six of the past seven. The most recent American victory was in 2008 at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky. That is the only U.S. victory this century and the first since 1999.
• Team USA has an overall Ryder Cup record of 25-13-2. Europe, however, holds a 10-4-1 advantage dating to 1985.
• The next four Ryder Cup locations are already decided: Le Golf National in Paris, France (2018), Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin (2020), Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy (2022) and Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York (2024).
• The Ryder Cup trophy is only 17 inches tall and weighs all of 4 pounds.