Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States, with hosting duties alternating between venues in Europe and the United States for each edition. The cup is named after the English businessman Samuel Ryder who donated the trophy, and it is jointly administered by the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe, the latter a joint venture of the PGA European Tour (60%), the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland (20%), and the PGAs of Europe (20%). Initially contested between Great Britain and the United States, the first official Ryder Cup took place in the United States in 1927 at Worcester Country Club in Worcester, Massachusetts. The home team won the first five contests. After World War II, repeated American dominance led to an extension of the team from Great Britain and Ireland to include the rest of Europe, beginning in 1979. Since 2000, Europe has won nine of the twelve Ryder Cups held. In the Ryder Cup, competing professionals receive no prize money. The Ryder Cup was held in odd-numbered years until 1999, but it then moved to even years in 2002 after being postponed in 2001 due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It moved back to odd years again in 2021, after the 2020 event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.