One of the much-awaited golf tournaments is the Ryder Cup, where men teams from Europe and the United States compete in September every two years. Currently, there are so many golf tournament events that golf fans have been looking forward to.

However, just like all the other sports events worldwide, some golfing events have been canceled due to the pandemic that the entire world is currently facing. But, as a fan, it’s important to remember that these events’ postponement is a step taken to protect every player and fan against the deadly COVID-19 virus.

Latest Update About the Tournament

The Ryder Cup tournament for this year was pushed back to 2021 in response to the players’ request. The golfers insisted on postponing the tournament to give fans a chance to witness this event without risking their health.

Golfers threatened to drop out of the event if their fans could not witness their performances. With most golfers’ requests reaching the ears of the Professional Golfers Association of America’s CEO Seth Waugh, he decided and announced the event’s postponement.

From the original schedule of September 22-2, 2020, it was moved to be held at the Whistling Straits in Wisconsin on September 21-26, 2021. Although the PGA contested with the players from both Europe and the United States, they agreed to the request for various reasons.

The first reason is the public’s health and safety. The second reason is due to medical experts and authorities’ inability to guarantee that hosting a responsible event with an expected thousand spectators is possible amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If you fancy other sports, you can head on to Betmaster casino and take a look at what other sports events are on.

How Ryder Cup Works

Here’s how the Ryder Cup works before and during the tournament:

Selection

The first thing that happens in the Ryder Cup is the team selection. Teams will be divided into two: the US team and the European team. The US team consists of the top 6 players from the points rankings and six of the captain’s picks.

On the other hand, the European team will include four golfers from the European Points List and the five golfers from the World Points List. The European team will be completed with three wild card players who will be given a chance to participate in the tournament.

All players from the US team were given the opportunity to earn points during the beginning of 2019, finishing instantly after the 2nd FedEx Cup event last August 30, 2020. The US team’s final points concluded that day, with the six best pointers securing the spot for the Ryder Cup’s US team. The captain’s picks will be assigned to the six remaining slots of the team.

Tournament Format

The Ryder Cup will start on a four-match session of fourball and another four-match session of foursomes in the first two days of the tournament. The last day of the tournament will be saved for the 12 singles matches.

To play for the fourball, every member of a 2-man team will play his ball. Therefore, there are four balls in play for every hole. Teams should count the lowest of their two scores on each hole. The lowest-scoring team will be the winner of the match.

For the foursomes, each team that consists of two players will play one ball per hole. The players of each team should take turns until every hole is completed. Again, the team scoring the lowest will win the match.

During the singles match, every match will have one player from each team. The player will play the match until completed, and the team with the lowest score will win the match. In the event of tied scores for all the matches mentioned, the holes will be halved.

Scoring

Every match in the Ryder Cup is worth one point. If the match finishes with a draw, the point will be worth ½ point to each side. The team should compete and reach the 14 ½ points first to win the cup. If the tournament ends with a 14-14 score, the former champion will retain the title.

The History of the Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup has become one of the world’s greatest sporting affairs since it started in 1927. This tournament is named after Samuel Ryder, the English businessman who donated the trophy for the event.

In its early years, the event was organized by the PGA of America and the Ryder Cup Europe. It is later joined by the European Tour PGA, PGA of Great Britain, including Ireland and Europe.

The first Ryder Cup was hosted at Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts, in 1927. Since the tournament’s dawn, the US team has already won 26 championships while the European team has only won 14.

The Ryder Cup’s current holder is the European team, who won in the 2018 tournament held at the Albatros Course in Le Golf National, Guyancourt, with a score of 17 and a half to 10 and a half.

US team fans are on the edge of their seats, anticipating the team’s win as the US once again hosts the event this year. The advantage of the home court is in the US team’s favor. The US team should do their best as the pressure is on them this season of the Ryder Cup.

The idea of giving American golfers a chance to play in the British Open was from James D. Harnett, who worked for a magazine. The PGA of America agreed on the idea, and it was announced to the public in November 1920. Thus, it marked the beginning of one of the much-anticipated events in the golfing world- the Ryder Cup.

Takeaway

The Ryder Cup is one of the most anticipated golf events this year. However, with the current dilemma the world is facing today, the event is pushed back to 2021. This way, fans will have a chance to witness this much-awaited event in real life and cheer for their favorite team live at the Whistling Straits, Wisconsin.

Kyle Ross is a blogger and a content writer who focuses on sports niches. He is a sports enthusiast himself who loves to spend his spare time watching sports channels with pizza and beer. His favorite sport is American football, which he watches live.