If you’re a fan of professional golf, you’ll be practically glued to your favorite media platform to catch as much of the Ryder Cup as possible.
While golf is a sport played by individuals, this event — named after its founder, English entrepreneur and golf enthusiast Samuel Ryder (1858-1936) — takes place every two years and features a team of 12 of the top European golfers going head-to-head against a dozen of the best American players in a three-day, match-play competition.
Despite taking place as it does during football season, anticipation has been building for one of golf’s most exciting weeks. With Bethpage Black on Long Island in Farmingdale, New York, set to host the 45th edition of this storied event, fans must choose between Saturday’s college football and the week four slate of NFL games on Sunday.
As expected, the United States and Europe will start the biennial showdown with Friday morning foursomes. The exact format continues into Saturday morning before giving way to four-ball sessions each afternoon. The USA vs. Europe slugfest concludes Sunday with a dozen singles matches that will decide the Ryder Cup.
In the foursomes, players alternate shots, and the lowest score wins the hole. If the scores are the same, the hole is ruled a tie. Meanwhile, in four-balls, every golfer plays their own ball. Whoever records the lowest individual score wins the hole. If the two lowest scores are the same, the hole is ruled a tie.
In the final day’s 12 head-to-head singles matches, the lowest score wins the hole. If the scores are the same, the hole is ruled a tie.
Every one of the 28 matches over three days is worth a single point. In the event of a tie, each team receives half a point. The first team to surpass 14 total points earns the victory. There are no extra holes in Ryder Cup matches. Europe won the 2023 Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club near Rome, Italy, and in the unlikely event of a 14–14 tie, they will retain the cup.
This iconic sign greets players at the first tee of Bethpage Black, setting the tone for one of the toughest public golf challenges in America.
Known for its challenging 7,468-yard length for the Ryder Cup, narrow fairways, deep rough, and multi-tiered greens, the par-71 Bethpage Black Course on Long Island was built in the 1930s and is owned by the New York State Parks system.
The first six players on each roster were automatic qualifiers, while the respective captains chose players 7-12.
Ryder Cup – Team Europe (Captain: Luke Donald)
- Rory McIlroy
- Jon Rahm
- Viktor Hovland
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Justin Rose
- Robert MacIntyre
- Sepp Straka
- Ludvig Åberg
- Shane Lowry
- Rasmus Højgaard (rookie)
Ryder Cup – Team USA (Captain: Keegan Bradley)
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Bryson DeChambeau
- J.J. Spaun
- Russell Henley
- Harris English
- Ben Griffin
- Collin Morikawa
- Cameron Young
- Patrick Cantlay
- Sam Burns
- Justin Thomas
The 45th Ryder Cup begins Friday at 7 a.m. ET on USA Network, providing 11 consecutive hours of live coverage, including both the morning and afternoon sessions. NBC and Peacock will air coverage on Saturday at 7 a.m. ET and on Sunday at noon ET.
