How the Ryder Cup Works: A Breakdown of Scoring

The Ryder Cup is one of the most unique and dramatic events in all of sports. Every two years, the best golfers from the United States and Europe square off in a three-day team competition that blends individual brilliance with collective strategy. Unlike stroke-play tournaments like the Masters or U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup is based on match play, with a scoring system that rewards head-to-head victories rather than low overall scores.

Here’s how it works.

The Format: Three Days, Three Types of Matches

The Ryder Cup is played over three days (Friday through Sunday), with a total of 28 matches. Each match is worth one point. No match is more important than another; every point counts equally.

• Friday and Saturday: The first two days feature team matches, using two formats:

  1. Foursomes (alternate shot): Two players from each side form a team. They share one ball, alternating shots until the hole is completed. Team strategy is critical here—captains often pair a big hitter with a precise putter.

  2. Four-ball (better ball): Again, two players per team, but each plays his own ball. The lowest score on each hole for the team counts. If Player A makes birdie and Player B makes par, the birdie represents the team’s score.

  There are four matches in each session, for a total of eight points available per day.

• Sunday: The final day is singles matches—12 one-on-one duels between players. Every member of each team plays, with 12 total points on the line.

Match Play Scoring Basics

Unlike stroke play, where every shot counts toward a cumulative score, match play is hole by hole.

• If you win a hole (lower score than your opponent), you go “1-up.”

• If you lose a hole, you go “1-down.”

• If you tie a hole, the hole is considered “halved” and the match score stays the same.

Matches can end before the 18th hole if one side is “dormie” (leading by more holes than remain). For example, if a team is 4-up with three holes left, the match ends 4 & 3.

Points and Halves

Each of the 28 matches is worth one point:

• A win = 1 point

• A tie (if the match ends “all square” after 18 holes) = ½ point for each team

This means there are 28 total points available during the Ryder Cup.

The Winning Number

• The first team to reach 14½ points wins the Ryder Cup outright.

• If the score ends in a 14–14 tie, the team that already holds the Ryder Cup (the previous winner) retains it.

That’s why ties feel like losses to challengers—they need 14½, not just 14, to lift the trophy.

Strategy and Drama

Because every point carries equal weight, captains carefully set pairings and match orders. Early leads can create momentum, but Sunday singles often decide the Cup. The format also creates wild swings: a team that looks comfortably ahead in overall score can quickly lose ground if opponents flip a few matches late.

Why Fans Love the Format

The Ryder Cup’s scoring system is simple yet suspenseful. Every hole, every putt, and every half-point matters. Unlike traditional golf tournaments, the focus isn’t just on personal glory—it’s on the team. That’s what makes the Ryder Cup one of the most intense and emotional competitions in all of sports.

Good luck to Woodstock, Vermont native and Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley. Despite being on Long Island and the USA being slight favorites on Draftkings (-105), this doesn’t feel like a USA win is imminent. Tommy Fleetwood recently won his first ever PGA Tour event. Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa will likely make caddie change number nine this year following a 43rd place finish at the Procore Championship. Boys Club Secretary Justin Thomas slotted in at 69th.

However, we are in line for a special sports weekend.

Saturday 27th - Alabama vs. Georgia

Saturday 27th - Oregon vs. Penn State

Sunday 28th - Packers vs. Cowboys

September 28th - Final Day of MLB Regular Season