In the early 1920s a few golf matches were played between British and American teams. In 1926 English seed merchant, Samuel Ryder, watched one of these matches at Wentworth and later had tea with members of both teams. Samuel Ryder was well known as an entrepreneur and it was here that he was persuaded to provide a trophy and help encourage these trans Atlantic matches to be played on a more formal and regular basis.
The Prestigious Samuel Ryder Trophy
The Samuel Ryder trophy was quickly commissioned and the first official Ryder Cup took place at Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts in 1927. The United States beat Great Britain by 9.5 to 2.5 and this great biennial sporting tradition, which almost uniquely in the world of professional sport is played for prestige rather than prize money, had begun.
Great Britain won the return match in 1929 at Moortown Golf Club, Leeds, and again at Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club in 1931. After that the Ryder Cup was dominated by the United States team and Great Britain had to wait until 1957, at Lindrick Golf Club, for their next victory.
Jack Nicklaus & The Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup was tied for the first time in 1969, at Royal Birkdale. The match went down to the last pair, Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin, on the final hole. Nicklaus holed a four-footer and sportingly conceded Jacklin's slightly shorter putt. It was a wonderful moment of sportsmanship from the world's greatest golfer and totally in keeping with the intended spirit of the Ryder Cup.
However, it was clear that the Ryder Cup was far too one-sided and in 1979 the United States team faced, for the first time, a group of players selected from the whole of Europe, a team which included Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido. The matches gradually became more competitive, as well as extremely appealing to the audience. In 1985 the Europeans beat the United States at The Belfry in a memorable encounter led by captain Tony Jacklin. Since then the Europeans have had the edge, securing several famous victories both in Europe and the United States.
The Ryder Cup is now an eagerly awaited sporting spectacle with a huge worldwide audience.
