September 2026 • Europe venue TBD
The most emotionally charged event in golf. No prize money. Just pride.
The Ryder Cup alternates between US and European venues every two years. After the 2025 Ryder Cup in the United States, 2026 returns to Europe. The specific venue will be announced by the European Ryder Cup organization. Likely candidates include UK and Ireland links venues.
The Ryder Cup is a biennial match-play competition between teams representing the United States and Europe. Twelve players per team compete across three days in foursomes (alternate shot), four-ball (better ball), and singles matches. There is no prize money — players compete purely for the pride of representing their country or continent.
The Cup was first played in 1927 — originally between the US and Great Britain. It was expanded to include Ireland in 1973, and then to all of continental Europe in 1979. That expansion transformed the competition from a largely predictable US dominance into a fierce rivalry.
Since 1985, Europe has held the upper hand — winning 11 of 20 contests. But the US won decisively in 2021 at Whistling Straits (19-9), the largest winning margin in modern Ryder Cup history.
The Ryder Cup has been complicated by the PGA Tour/LIV split. Several of Europe's best players — including Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Henrik Stenson (who was stripped of his captaincy) — joined LIV Golf and became ineligible for the European team under current selection rules. The loss of these Ryder Cup stalwarts has been one of the most contentious consequences of the LIV split.
The rules around LIV player eligibility for the 2026 Ryder Cup may have evolved — check for the latest from the European Ryder Cup organization as team selection approaches.
| Session | Format | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Fri AM | Foursomes | 4 |
| Fri PM | Four-Ball | 4 |
| Sat AM | Foursomes | 4 |
| Sat PM | Four-Ball | 4 |
| Sun | Singles (12 matches) | 12 |
| Total | 28 matches | 28 |
First team to 14.5 points wins. A tie (14–14) means the team currently holding the Cup retains it.
| Year | Venue | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bethpage Black, New York, USA | TBD | — |
| 2023 | Marco Simone GC, Rome, Italy | Europe | 16.5–11.5 |
| 2021 | Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, USA | USA | 19–9 (record margin) |
| 2018 | Le Golf National, Paris, France | Europe | 17.5–10.5 |
| 2016 | Hazeltine National, Minnesota, USA | USA | 17–11 |
| 2014 | Gleneagles, Scotland | Europe | 16.5–11.5 |
| 2012 | Medinah CC, Illinois, USA | Europe | 14.5–13.5 (Miracle at Medinah) |