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Ryder Cup 2023: How does scoring work at golf's biennial tournament?

Scooby Axson, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The 44th iteration of the Ryder Cup between golfers from the United States and Europe will take place at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, which plays at a par 72 and 7,268 yards.

The competition, which is held every two years, starts on Sept. 29 and ends on Oct. 1.

There are 28 matches during each Ryder Cup, with winners earning one point each.

Ties in matches are worth ½ points to each team, with the first team to reach 14½ points winning the Ryder Cup. If the score is tied at 14, then the defending champion keeps the Ryder Cup, in this case, the United States as a result of its 19-9 victory in 2021.

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How does the Ryder Cup format work?

The format for the first two days has one four-match session of fourball and one four-match session of foursomes. The last day of the competition includes 12 singles matches.

What does fourball mean at the Ryder Cup?

Four balls are in play on each hole, with two-man teams playing one ball per hole. The lowest score on the hole counts, and the team with the player with the lowest score wins that hole. Low scores that are tied result in a halved hole.

What are foursomes at the Ryder Cup?

This format has the two-man teams playing one ball on each hole, taking turns until the hole is finished. The players alternate tee shots, one on an odd-numbered hole, and the other on an even-numbered hole. The low score on each hole wins and if the scores are tied, the hole is halved.

Reacting to the home crowd at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, Jordan Spieth has a career record of 8-7-3 in four previous appearances in the Ryder Cup and was a perfect 5-0-0 at the Presidents Cup last fall.
Reacting to the home crowd at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, Jordan Spieth has a career record of 8-7-3 in four previous appearances in the Ryder Cup and was a perfect 5-0-0 at the Presidents Cup last fall.

What is singles play at the Ryder Cup?

One player from each team goes head-to-head with the player with the lower score winning that hole. Tie scores are halved.

What does conceding mean at the Ryder Cup?

There isn't a requirement that a player completes their hole during match play.

Concession happens when a golfer picks up the ball before the hole is finished, taking the score that he would have had on the next stroke. Players then move to the next hole.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryder Cup scoring: How to keep score for 2023 golf tournament in Rome