The Ryder Cup is one of the iconic events on the sporting calendar and it returns at the end of this month after the team compeititon between Europe and the USA was postponed by a year due the pandemic.
Europe were victorious las time out in 2018, regaining the Ryder Cup in France with the American team winning the last edition to take place stateside in 2016.
When is it?
The Ryder Cup begis on Friday, September 24 and finishes on Sunday, September 26.
Where is it?
The event will take place at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
How can I watch on TV?
The Ryder Cup will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Golf in the UK.
How are the teams picked?
Twelve players represent each side along with a captain and their two deputies.
For Team Europe, nine players automatically qualify for selection while three more are selected by the captain. The Team Europe Captain this year is Padraig Harrington while Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell are his Vice Captains. The qualification spots are handed out to the four players leading the Race to Dubai Points List for the European Tour and the five other players are based on the World Points List standings.
The qualification window will close on September 12 after the PGA BMW Championship.
For Team USA, only six players automatically qualify via their ranking leaving half the team at the discretion of their captain Steve Stricker. He is joined in the USA leadership group by Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples.
The initial six players are selected via the USA’s points list, which is taken from prize money in select events since 2019 (including all majors and PGA Tour events). The USA’s qualification period ended at the US-based BMW Championship on August 29 with Stricker making his picks early in September.
Who is in the teams?
Leading the race to qualify for Team Europe are: Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Paul Casey, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Lee Westwood and Shane Lowry.
Other players in contention include: Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter while Francesco Molinari ruled himself out with a back injury.
Team USA’s automatic qualifiers are: Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay.
Players in contention for the final six spots include: Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Patrick Reed, Billy Horschel, Daniel Berger, Webb Simpson, Scottie Scheffler and Kevin Na.
How does it work?
There are 28 matches contested over the course of the weekend, starting with the foursomes and four-balls on Friday and Saturday and concluding with a full round of singles on the Sunday.
Every match is worth one point. In the result of a drawn match, half a point is awarded to both teams. It means 14.5 points are enough for an outright win, but if you’re the defending champions, a tie at 14 points will allow you to retain the Ryder Cup. Europe are the current holders.
Each captain will decide who will play the eight matches on the first two days where the foursomes and four-balls are contested. The order is determined by the home captain. The difference between the disciplines? Well, a foursome match sees two pairs of golfers compete over the course with team-mates alternating hits of the same ball.
A four-ball contest does exactly what it says on the tin. Each golfer plays with their own ball but it is the best score of the pair which contributes to their total.
On the final day of the event, each member of both teams feature in the 12 singles matches. Each captain will also determine as to which order their players will go out.
What is the latest news?
Brooks Koepka withdrew from the Tour Championship on Saturday, September 4 after injuring his left wrist hitting a ball out of the rough, prompting questions about whether the American will be fit enough to compete at the Ryder Cup.
Koepka injured his wrist on the 10th hole at East Lake when his club hit a tree root on his approach shot. He finished the hole and the next two before withdrawing with a score of one-under for the season-ending tournament, placing him well out of contention.
“Same wrist I had issues with back in ’17, ’18, so just making sure it’s all good,” Koepka said, according to Golfweek.
Koepka, a former world number one with four major titles but who has suffered a series of knee injuries, has already qualified for the US. team.
If Koepka is unable to compete, Stricker would be given a seventh captain’s pick to fill his spot.
What are the latest odds?
Europe: 15/8
USA: 4/7
Draw: 11/1