The Ryder Cup is a biennial men’s golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. It is one of the premier events in golf and highly anticipated by fans each time it is held. With such prestige and history behind it, qualification for the Ryder Cup is considered a huge honor and achievement for professional golfers.
Ryder Cup Basics
The Ryder Cup involves 12-member teams from Europe and the U.S. competing in match play events over three days. The setting rotates between courses in the U.S. and Europe. Whichever team earns more points from the matches is declared the winner.
The timing of the matches is as follows:
- Day 1 (Friday): 4 foursome (alternate shot) matches in the morning and 4 fourball (better ball) matches in the afternoon
- Day 2 (Saturday): 4 foursome matches in the morning and 4 fourball matches in the afternoon
- Day 3 (Sunday): 12 singles matches
In total, there are 28 matches contested at each Ryder Cup. With 12 players per team, each golfer typically participates in at least 2 matches over the course of the competition.
Qualification Criteria
For each team, there are qualification criteria and selection procedures that determine which players make the roster for the biennial event. Here is an overview of how players qualify for the Ryder Cup:
U.S. Team
The 12 members of the U.S. team are selected as follows:
- The top 6 players automatically qualify based on a points system
- The captain selects 6 wildcard picks
The points system is based on money earned in important tournaments and performances in recent Ryder Cups. More specifically:
- Points are earned in major championships from the past 2 years (1.5x value)
- Points are earned in The Players Championship from the past year (1.5x value)
- Points are earned in select PGA Tour events from the past year
- Points are earned from the past 2 Ryder Cups (1x or 2x value depending on performance)
The captain’s 6 wildcard picks tend to be well-established players to balance out the team. There are no strict criteria for these selections.
European Team
The 12 members of the European team are selected as follows:
- The top 4 players from the European Points List
- The top 5 players from the World Points List
- 3 captain’s picks
The European Points List is based on performances in important European tournaments over the past 2 years. The World Points List is based on world rankings points earned over the past 2 years.
The captain rounds out the team with 3 selections as they see fit.
Number of Qualifiers
Based on the selection criteria outlined above, here is a summary of how many players qualify through each method:
| Team | Automatic Qualifiers | Captain’s Picks | Total Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Europe | 9 | 3 | 12 |
In total, there are 24 players that automatically qualify based on points standings (6 U.S. and 9 Europe). The remaining 8 spots are filled by captain’s selections.
Key Facts
Here are some key facts about Ryder Cup qualification and selections:
- The U.S. system relies more heavily on captain’s picks (6 out of 12 team members)
- Europe has stricter criteria based on points earned from tournaments
- Only a maximum of 9 European players can directly qualify; the U.S. has no limit
- The points systems incentivize consistent performances in big events over a 2-year period
- Captain’s picks are still crucial since they account for 1/3 of each team
Qualification Timeline
The qualification process for each Ryder Cup takes place over a 2-year period in the run-up to the biennial event. Here is a general timeline:
- Year 1
- Players earn points from major championships and other eligible tournaments
- Standings start to take shape but can change significantly
- Year 2
- More events are played for points
- The final major is held in mid-summer
- Final points lists are solidified after the PGA Championship in August
- Captain’s picks are announced in early September
- Ryder Cup held in late September/early October
As the biennial matches approach, there is intense focus on who will automatically qualify and who needs a captain’s pick to make the team.
Noteworthy Qualification Storylines
With so much drama around making the Ryder Cup team, there are often compelling storylines that emerge during the qualification process. Here are some noteworthy examples over the years:
- 1991 – “The War by the Shore” – Going into the final major in 1991, a number of American players including Chip Beck, Raymond Floyd, and Payne Stewart were on the qualification bubble. The PGA Championship ended up deciding the fate of the final automatic spots in dramatic fashion.
- 2010 – Hunter Mahan – American Hunter Mahan narrowly missed out on automatic qualification when he lost in a playoff at the final qualifying event in 2010. He then controversially got selected as a captain’s pick over Rickie Fowler.
- 2014 – Ian Poulter – Ian Poulter needed a strong showing at the 2014 PGA Championship to grab an automatic spot on the European team. He came through in clutch fashion to qualify and went on to be a key contributor in Europe’s victory at Gleneagles.
- 2016 – Russell Knox – Russell Knox won two PGA Tour events in 2016 but was left off the European team entirely as captain Darren Clarke did not pick him. The omission was controversial given Knox’s multiple wins and strong play.
These examples demonstrate how intense the competition is to simply qualify for the Ryder Cup teams. Having the right performances at the right time is crucial.
Players on the Bubble
Due to the competitive nature of Ryder Cup qualification, there are always golfers who find themselves “on the bubble” coming down the stretch. These players are on the edge of automatically qualifying or missing out. Some examples of bubble players to monitor for the 2023 Ryder Cup:
U.S. Team
- Billy Horschel
- Kevin Kisner
- Jordan Spieth
- Cameron Young
European Team
- Thomas Pieters
- Robert MacIntyre
- Victor Perez
- Guido Migliozzi
These players will need strong performances in 2022 and early 2023 to improve their chances of qualification. Otherwise, they may end up relying on a captain’s pick to make the team.
Number of Debutants
One interesting statistic to analyze with each Ryder Cup is the number of players making their debut for each team. Here is a look at debutants over the past 5 Ryder Cups:
| Year | U.S. Debutants | Europe Debutants |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6 | 3 |
| 2018 | 3 | 5 |
| 2016 | 6 | 6 |
| 2014 | 2 | 1 |
| 2012 | 5 | 5 |
There is often significant turnover from previous Ryder Cups. The U.S. team in particular has featured a large influx of rookies lately. Having the right mix of new blood and veteran experience can be crucial.
Captain’s Pick Trends
Analyzing trends in captain’s picks over the years provides further insight into Ryder Cup selection factors. Here are some interesting trends:
- Picks often balance new faces and veteran experience
- Hot players are rewarded (e.g. Billy Horschel in 2021)
- Poor recent form can be discounted (e.g. Webb Simpson in 2021)
- Playing ability in foursomes and fourballs is weighted
- There is often 1-2 controversial “surprise” picks
Although captain’s picks do not have strict criteria, analyzing historical selections can shed light on what factors captains value most.
Changes Over Time
The qualification process and team makeups have evolved considerably over the long history of the Ryder Cup. Here are some key changes over the decades:
- Number of players per team increased from 10 to 12 in 1969
- Addition of captain’s picks started in 1947 with 2 picks
- U.S. captain’s picks increased from 2 to 4 in 2008
- Europe initiates a points-based system in the 1970s
- Europe expands from GB&I to all of continental Europe in 1979
- Requirements modified in 2002 to account for European Tour and world rankings
The changes made the event more competitive and balanced over the years. The result is a qualification process that now provides a mix of objective qualification and subjective selections.
Role of Captain’s Picks
The involvement of captain’s selections adds another layer of complexity and intrigue to Ryder Cup qualification. Here is an assessment of the role served by captain’s picks:
- Fill out roster gaps after auto-qualifiers are set
- Add players based on current form versus past performance
- Build partnerships and find player complementarities
- Manage team chemistry and personality dynamics
- Mitigate effects of injuries or missed cuts
- Account for performance in team play versus solo stroke play
Picks are an opportunity for captains to shape their ideal team and reduce vulnerabilities. While picks can prove controversial, they provide flexibility that points systems inherently lack.
Key Factors for Picks
Captains weigh a variety of factors when making their wildcard selections. Here are some of the key considerations:
- Recent Form – Hot streaks and tournament wins get rewarded
- Stats – Strokes gained, scoring average, accuracy percentages
- Team Compatibility – Personality, relationships, pairing strengths
- Course Fit – Style of play suited to the venue
- Experience – Rookies versus veterans
- Intangibles – Passion, clutch performance, leadership
Striking the ideal balance between objective performance metrics and subjective intangible factors is the perennial challenge for captains making picks.
Pick Controversies
Due to the high stakes of Ryder Cup selection, captain’s picks frequently generate scrutiny and second-guessing. Here are some of the biggest pick controversies over the years:
- 1977 – Peter Oosterhuis – Passed over by captain Dow Finsterwald despite a win and two second-place finishes that summer.
- 1989 – Chip Beck – Raymond Floyd picked Curtis Strange, Tom Kite, and Lanny Wadkins despite Beck’s standout play.
- 1995 – Peter Jacobsen – Chosen by Corey Pavin despite Jacobsen not playing on Tour full-time since 1991.
- 2010 – Hunter Mahan – Controversially picked by Corey Pavin over Rickie Fowler who had won in 2010.
- 2014 – Stephen Gallacher – Left off the team by Paul McGinley despite being in great form and winning in 2014.
Captain’s picks frequently stir up intense debate, especially when players with better objective records are passed over.
Pick Controversies Lead to Change
Past captain’s pick controversies have actually led to changes in the qualification procedures. Two prominent examples:
- 1995 – Peter Jacobsen pick – This selection was seen as ill-deserved favoritism by Captain Corey Pavin. The ensuing criticism led the PGA to reduce U.S. captain’s picks from 4 to 2 in 1996.
- 2016 – Russell Knox omission – Knox’s exclusion prompted the European Tour to tweak its process to add a World Points List to account for world ranking status.
While pick debates are inevitable, they can catalyze positive changes when warranted.
Conclusion
Getting onto the U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams is a coveted yet challenging goal for professional golfers each cycle. The pressure to earn points or get hand-picked by the captain leads to intense competition and dramatic storylines during the two-year qualification period. While the systems have evolved over the long history of the Ryder Cup, striking the right balance between objective and subjective criteria remains an imperfect science. Controversies around captain’s picks will persist, but also help shape future changes to benefit the competitiveness and prestige of this great team event.
