Ryder Cup: Where it will be won

If the old adage is true and the stats, indeed, don’t lie, then there are two particular sessions that you can reasonably expect to play a large part in deciding the outcome of this year’s Ryder Cup match – the foursomes sessions.

Taking place on the Friday and Saturday mornings this year, these sessions have been dominated by Europe over the last ten matches.

The ability to adapt to the ‘alternate shot’ format of the game – and, more specifically, identify pairings that are compatible for it – has been the cornerstone of Europe’s success in the contest stretching back to the 1995 victory at Oak Hill.

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CONTINUES BELOW…

Europe has a cumulative 47-33 lead over the US in foursomes matches since 1995, winning 12 of the 19 sessions. The US has won just three, with four sessions halved. The other two formats employed in the Ryder Cup – fourballs and singles – also show Europe ahead of the US… but it’s much closer. Only four points separate them in each, with the ten singles sessions since 1995 all tied up at five wins apiece.

If you were to take the foursomes out of the most recent match at Gleneagles in 2014, the USA would have won 10½-9½. No wonder one of the first things 2014 US captain Tom Watson did in his post-match presser was to point out the influence of foursomes on the outcome of the contest. “They took us down in the alternate shots,” he lamented. “That’s where the matches really turned.”

No doubt Euro skipper Darren Clarke will be hoping for more of the same this year.

Ryder Cup: Session by session since ‘95

Foursomes

Europe 47-33 USA

Session winners:  Eur 12, USA 3, Halved 4

Fourballs

Europe 42-38 USA

Session winners: Eur 7, USA 9, Halved 4

Singles

Europe 62-58 USA

Session winners:  Eur 5, USA 5

Cumulative Score

Europe 151-129 USA

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Ryder Cup :: Where do you think it’ll be decided?

Do you think that the 2016 Ryder Cup will be decided in foursomes as has been the case in recent history? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor