Spain’s José Maria Olazábal has been selected by the Tournament Committee of The European Tour to captain the European team at The 2012 Ryder Cup to be played at Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois, USA 25th-30th September 2012.
We present the UAEasy.com quick guide to this fascinating contest…

While the keenest of golf fans have no problem following the competition, many occasional golfers perhaps enjoy watching the world’s best without really understanding the unique format of the classic sporting event. In a nutshell, this is your quick guide to the Ryder Cup.

First, a bit of the history. Unlike most other major sports events, the Ryder is based more on prestige than on money as two teams, the Americans and the Europeans tee off against one another.

It’s named after English amateur golfer, seed merchant and entrepreneur Samuel Ryder from St. Albans in Hertfordshire, who made his fortune by selling penny seed packets. Ryder provided a trophy and encouraged the establishment of international matches on a regular basis. The original, solid gold Ryder cup cost £250 to produce.

Initially the Ryder cup pitted the Best of Great Britain against the best of America, but in 1979 players from continental Europe were added making it Europe against America.

Tournament Format

The Europeans and Americans each field a team of 12 players based on a long and involved selection process.

All games in the Ryder Cup are played under Match Play rules, where the number of holes won determines the result of each game. The order of play for the first two days is Fourball in the morning and Foursomes in the afternoon. The final day’s play will be in Singles format.

Fourball (four groups of two two-man teams)

Fourball play is a match in which each member of the two-man teams plays their own ball. Four balls are in play per hole with each of the four players competing. The team whose player has the lowest score on that hole wins the hole. Should players from each team tie for the best score, the hole is halved.

Foursomes (four groups of two two-man teams)

Foursomes play is a match where two golfers play together against two other golfers and each team plays one ball. The golfers play alternate shots (player A hits tee shot, player B hits second shot, etc) until the hole is played out. Team members alternate playing the tee shots, with one golfer hitting the tee shot on odd-numbered holes, and the other hitting the tee shot on the even-numbered holes. The team with the better score wins the hole. Should the two teams tie for best score, the hole is halved.

Singles (12 groups of two one-man teams)

Singles is a match in which one player competes against another player. A player wins the match when he is up by more holes than there are holes remaining to play.

Pairings

Each Team Captain independently submits the order of play for his Team to the appointed tournament official. The lists from each Captain are matched, resulting in the “Pairings”. The Team Captains can modify the players in pairings, but only if a player is ill or injured. Pairings are subject to change and should not be considered final until play begins for a particular match.

Match Play

A game played by holes and not by cumulative score.

How is a hole won?

The player or side wins a hole with the lowest score on that particular hole. For example, if Team A makes a 3 on hole 1 and Team B makes a 5 on hole 1, Team A wins the hole and would be 1-up for the match.

How is the Score Kept for Match Play?

Score is kept by the number of holes “up” (won) and the number of holes left to play. For example, if Team A wins the first hole, they would be 1-up with 17 holes to play.

Dormie

A side is considered dormie when it is up by the exact number of holes that remain. For example, if Team A were 2-up with 2 holes to play, Team A would be dormie.

When Does One Team Win the Match?

A team will win the match they are playing when one of them is up by more holes than there are holes remaining. For example, if Team A is 2-up with 1 hole to play, the match is closed out and one point is awarded to the winning side, Team A.

How Many Points Can You Win During each Match?

Only one point is awarded for each match won.

What are Concessions?

A stroke, hole or an entire match can be conceded at any time prior to the conclusion of the hole or match. Concession of a stroke, hole or match may not be declined or withdrawn.

One side may choose to concede a stroke to the opposing side if there is no doubt that they’ll hole out the shot. For instance, if Team A putts and the ball ends 6 inches from the hole and Team B hits their ball out-of-bounds, Team B may choose to concede the hole to Team A. As a result, Team A wins the hole.

Can a Match End in a Tie?

If a match is tied through 18 holes of play (this is called “halved"), each Team receives one half point. There are no extra holes in Ryder Cup play.

How Many Points Does a Team Need to Win the Ryder Cup?

There are a total of 28 matches. One point is awarded for each match won. The Team with the most points at the conclusion of play on day three wins The Ryder Cup.

Can The Ryder Cup End In A Tie?

If, at the conclusion of The Ryder Cup, the Teams are tied at 14 points each, the Team who last won The Ryder Cup retains The Ryder Cup.

For more information on the next Ryder Cup competition log onto http://www.rydercup.com/2012/