Sep 27, 2018

Ryder Cup 2018


The prestigious Ryder Cup 2018 is played every alternate year. 12 top-class golfers each from Europe and the United States battle it out in a war of supremacy –just that the battlefield happens to be an 18-hole golf course!



But what is the Ryder Cup? Why is it so prestigious… and why is there so much hype around it this year?


The Ryder Cup is a biennial men’s golf competition that has become one of the greatest sporting events in the world. Venues alternate between the USA and Europe. The 2018 edition will take place at Le Golf National in France, near Paris.


This larger-than-life event connects 24 of the best players from the United States of America and Europe, and is viewed by millions of fans and golf fanatics from across the world.


The event began in 1927, founded by English businessman Samuel Ryder (after whom the event is named). While the Cup was originally contested between the United States and Great Britain, the United States’ dominance over the years led to the inclusion of continental Europe in 1979. This turned out to be a great decision, as Europe has claimed the trophy ten times since, while the Americans have won eight times.


Over the years, the European team has included players from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Denmark, apart from Great Britain and Ireland. 



How it works: 


The event takes place over the weekend of, Friday, 28 September to Sunday, 30 September 2018. The Ryder Cup involves a few different match types, and a total of 28 matches are played. On Friday and Saturday, four ‘Fourball’ matches and four ‘Foursome’ matches are played each day. On Sunday, 12 singles matches are played, involving all team players.


Not all players participate in the first two days. It’s the Captain of the team who decides which eight players will compete.


Winners earn a point for each match won, while half a point is awarded for a tie. Points are tallied at the end and the winning team is declared. In case of a tie, the Cup winners of the previous year retain the title.


Thomas Bjørn was appointed as European captain on December 6, 2017, while Jim Furyk was named USA captain on January 11, 2017.



Here’s how the team line-ups look this year:


Europe:Thomas Bjørn (Captain), Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Rory Mcllroy, Francesco Molinari, Alex Norén, Thorbjørn Olesen, Ian Poulter, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson



USA:Jim Furyk (Captain), Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods



Europe will look to come back strong this year after they were defeated 17-11 in 2016 in Minnesota, USA. However, the Americans have lost their last five tours to Europe. The last time they won the Ryder Cup in Europe was in 1993.


The 2018 the Ryder Cup promises some exciting pairings and match-ups. It’s going to be interesting to see if USA can break the Europe curse. The stakes couldn’t be higher and there are few sporting events of the magnitude of the Ryder Cup. 


This tournament is one that simply can’t be missed by any golf-lover, especially with the two teams stacked with talent. So are you on Team USA or Team Europe? Time to pick a side!


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