What is the format of the Ryder Cup? Fourballs, fours and singles explained

European players Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka (left) during a practice round at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. Photo: PA/David Davis

The Ryder Cup stands out among professional golf's biggest competitions because it brings together the world's elite players in a team environment.

The United States has not hosted the Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993. and a dozen Americans will travel to Rome this September to change that record.

Europe suffered a crushing defeat in the Whistling Straits last time out and will need a fresh core of young players to rally their strength if captain Luke Donald is to lead them to victory.

Ahead of this year's tournament, players have called for to the introduction of playoffs, so that in future tournaments there will always be an absolute winner and they cannot end in a draw. You can read the full story here.

This is how the Ryder Cup format works.

How does match play work?

The four major golf championships and the vast majority of tournaments are stroke play competitions where the course is played over 72 holes and the player with the lowest cumulative score is the winner.

The Ryder Cup is not stroke play, but match play, meaning pairs or individuals compete against each other. The pair or player with the lowest score on the first hole wins the hole and is therefore considered to have a one-up lead. If they win the next hole they will be up by two. If their opponents win the next hole, they will return to all squares and so on.

The match is won when a pair of players are in the lead with more holes than remaining (if after 16 holes, they have won 3 and 2, because they have three more and only two holes left).

Another feature of match play is that players can hit close range shots on their opponents, which can be a source of mind games.

How does the Ryder Cup scoring system work?

Europe and USA will go head-to-head. with a friend in eight four-ball matches, eight four-ball matches and 12 singles matches. Each match is worth one point, and drawn matches are worth half a point to each team. This means that to win the Ryder Cup you need to score 14 and a half points. If the US holders reach 14 points, they will be guaranteed a draw and therefore retain the Ryder Cup in a worst-case scenario.

There will be four fours matches in the morning and four four-ball matches in the afternoon on Friday and Saturday. That means each team will have eight of its 12 golfers on the field in any given session, so team captains Donald and Zach Johnson must decide who to select and who to leave out. Calculating which players should be paired is also an important part of the captain's job.

The 12 singles matches will be played on Sunday, when every golfer will play on the day the Ryder Cup is played.

Captain European international Luke Donald replaced Henrik Stenson after he was dropped. Photo: Getty Images/Mike Ehrmann What is the difference between a fourball and a fourball? fours?Furballs

Two Europeans against two Americans. All four players play on the field as usual, with their own ball. The couple with the lowest score on the hole (individual score, not aggregate) wins the hole. So if three players par the first hole but there are European birdies, then Europe goes up by one.

This effectively means two cherry pieces on each hole, which is why captains prefer to pick aggressive players in this format. Even if they are a little unstable, there is a guarantee that the second ball will be in play. At least that's the theory.

A common fourball strategy is for one player to cut the hole more conservatively, leaving his ball in play so that his partner can play more cavalierly.

Jose Maria Olazábal and the late Seve Ballesteros were a legendary Ryder Cup couple. Photo: Stephen Munday/Getty Images The Four

Two European players against two Americans. However, in this format, each pair only has one ball in play and shots are taken alternately. This is a much faster format, but a much more complex discipline. One bad shot can cost you the hole, unlike fourballs where you can rely on your partner's ball.

For this reason, captains tend to favor the most consistent and accurate hitters who can keep the ball in play . Par can be a good result in a four-player game, but in a four-player game the focus is on making birdies.

Players begin play on alternate holes, so they plan their route around the course in advance to decide which player should take the odds and which of the evening. For example, you might try to get the longest driver to tee off on most par-fives, or the best ironman on most par-threes if the course layout allows.

Singles

One European versus one American in straight match play

The Ryder Cup should abolish ties and introduce play-offs, players Tom Morgan say. Author's photo (not analysis)

Ryder Cup players are calling for a playoff decider. is turned off to ensure that future tournaments always have an outright winner and cannot end in a draw.

If the score is 14-14 this weekend, the US will retain the trophy as previous winners under rules similar to the Ashes. Test cricket series

The issue has become a hot topic in Rome this week after Europe's women retained the Solheim Cup with a 14-14 draw against the USA last weekend.

After a summer in which Australia had already retained the Ashes after a series draw, Hutton said the likelihood of a Ryder Cup draw was «not ideal «.

“I think it would be quite interesting if there was a possibility of having a play-off if that happened,” the Englishman said. “I think it would be very exciting for the fans and would definitely create a pretty epic atmosphere. Playing in front of the home fans is always special, but I think it will add something.

“I think you probably have time for that because the singles games start later in the day, by compared to fourballs and fourballs. «

He suggested «starting play on Sunday a little earlier» as a potential solution, which could include a nine-hole playoff format.

«I think it would be a lot more exciting than just 'this.' a draw… so-and-so retains the Cup,” he said. «I don't think it's the best option.»

Homa agreed that changing the rules could add more drama to the biennial event. He spoke of the excitement he felt after watching the Presidents Cup in 2003, when a 17-17 score led to Tiger Woods, then the number one player in the world, facing Ernie Els, then number two, in the playoff.< /p>< p>“I never liked ties,” Homa said. “They don't make sense to me. The whole point of any competition is to see who wins.”

Even though the U.S. could take home the trophy with a draw, he suggested that «retaining» felt empty. “I understand why they do it, but I’m not a fan of it,” he said. “You have a completely new team, for example, in the Solheim Cup, and they drew. Someone has to make the playoffs. I think one of the most exciting experiences we had, even though it ended in a draw, was playing Tiger and Ernie at the Presidents Cup.

“It was one of the coolest memories you can have.” be. team event. If possible, you'd like more… draws leave a bad taste in your mouth.»

Other players were more diplomatic when asked for their views on a potential rule change. Rory McIlroy said the scoring system was «part of history and tradition.» «I watched the Solheim Cup last week and obviously there was a huge celebration when Europe got to 14th place and retained the cup,» he said. «And I thought to myself, 'They celebrate the draw a lot,' but then I came back to Medina in 2012 and we blew up too when we got to 14.

«I think we'll keep this thing… that means, and there's definitely a historical and traditional element to it… this competition has been around since 1927, and they've always done it that way. Does this mean they will always have to do this? Probably no. But it’s nice to preserve some of the traditions of this event.”