Along the PGA tour, there are many tournaments where the winner earns hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, the Ryder Cup is among the last professional sporting events where prize money is not the reward. In this 3-day, biennial tournament between the U.S. and Europe, golfers are competing solely for the glory of the game.

The Ryder Cup

The first Ryder Cup was played in 1927, and although COVID threw off the biennial rotation, this year hosts the 43rd tournament at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. On Thursday, September 23, the opening ceremony will be held starting at 4 PM CST. The tournament starts the following day and lasts until Sunday, September 26.

The Tournament

On the first two days, players compete in 4 foursome matches and 4 fourball matches; the home captain chooses which are played when (morning or afternoon). Foursomes feature alternating shots between team members. Fourball means every player plays his ball and posts a score. For both contests, the lowest score wins a hole.

The third day features singles play. Each match features one player from each team, with the lower score winning each hole. Unlike your typical golf play, players don't have to complete each hole. Depending on how their opponent plays, golfers can pick up their ball and take the score they would have made on the next shot, allowing the play to move on.

How Do You Win?

Each team has 12 golfers, and the tournament is played in foursome and fourball mini matches. The first team to reach 14½ points wins, and if the teams tie, the previous winner takes the Cup. This year, that team would be the European team. Each match is worth 1 point, and ties are worth half a point.

Teams

The 2021 U.S. Team is made up of the top 6 in point rankings, with the captain, Steve Stricker, rounding out the team with 6 picks.

Automatic Bids:

• Collin Morikawa
• Dustin Johnson
• Bryson DeChambeau
• Brooks Koepka
• Justin Thomas
• Patrick Cantlay

Captain's Picks:

• Tony Finau
• Xander Schauffele
• Jordan Spieth
• Harris English
• Scottie Scheffler
• Daniel Berger

The European Team will be made up of 9 players in the top points list and 3 of the captain, Padraig Harrington’s picks.

Automatic Bids:

• Jon Rahm
• Rory McIlroy
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Viktor Hovland
• Paul Casey
• Lee Westwood
• Bernd Wiesberger
• Matt Fitzpatrick
• Tyrrell Hatton

Captain’s Picks:

• Ian Poulter
• Sergio Garcia
• Shane Lowry

As you may know, Padraig Harrington partnered with EyePromise earlier this year, improving his vision which can help him read the greens better. While we’d love to see our partner win, we can’t help but root our home team! Either way, we’re sure it’ll be an exciting matchup! Find out how you can watch it.