John Beagle

People, Places and Things

Ryder Cup Etiquette

First of all you need to know a little about the Ryder Cup. This is a different kind of golf tournament. It’s a team sport, the United States vs Europe, its match play instead of the usual stroke play and it’s not an individual match until the last day. The Ryder Cup takes on a special meaning with tradition of sportsmanship, honesty and integrity since 1927. Originally played between the UK and the US, its currently US vs Europe. However, golfers still need to enhance their individual skills and that’s why they utilize the best golf simulators.


On days one and two, in the morning (home captain Davis Love III decided) 8 foursome matches will be played. A foursome requires each team player to take alternate shots throughout the match.

Then in the afternoon 8 fourball matches will be played. Fourball allows players to play the better ball.

On the third day, there will be 12 singles matches. With a total of 28 points available, 14½ points are required to win the Cup, and 14 points are required for the defending champion to retain the Cup. All matches are played to a maximum of 18 holes.

The Ryder Cup is truely a special event. That’s why it the Captains of this years event found it important to make this statement:

While partisanship is natural, it is important to remember that the Ryder Cup is intended to be a friendly competition between the best golfers on two continents. The sportsmanship of the spectators plays a vital role in the continuing spirit and success of the Ryder Cup.

In order to preserve this grand tradition, we hope that there will be no excessive partisanship displayed by the gallery. while all good shot making should be applauded, the prospective misfortunes of an opposing player should not be celebrated — nor should comments of any kind be made while a player prepares to hit his shot.

Golf unites the world. The Ryder Cup is one of the many important events that helps unite the US and Europe. I applaud the captains of the 2012 Ryder Cup Teams! Good Luck to all.

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