U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and European captain Luke Donald pose with the Ryder Cup trophy after a news conference in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa, File) How much do you know about the history of the Ryder Cup? Here's a quiz to test your knowledge (answers at the end):
Friday Fourballs
1. Who is the Ryder Cup named after?
a.) An English seed merchant
b.) The Secretary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club
c.) The official truck rental company of the PGA of America
2. On which course did the Americans lose the Ryder Cup at home for the first time?
a.) PGA National
b.) Muirfield Village
c.) Oakland Hills
3. Who has played in the most consecutive Ryder Cups?
a.) Colin Montgomerie
b.) Phil Mickelson
c.) Lee Westwood
4. Who has been the most successful pairing in Ryder Cup history?
a.) Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson
b.) Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson
c.) Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal
Friday Foursomes
5. Which US Open champion has a 14-5-8 record in seven Ryder Cups but has never been a captain?
a.) Hubert Green
b.) Larry Nelson
c.) Gene Littler
6. Who holds the Ryder Cup record for most match losses?
a.) Neil Coles
b.) Phil Mickelson
c.) Peter Alliss
7. Who is the only player to have finished a Ryder Cup match with a hole in one?
a.) Art Wall
b.) Paul Casey
c.) Scott Verplank
8. Which is the only American pair to have won all four Ryder Cup matches since the current format began in 1979?
a.) Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus
b.) Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa
c.) Lanny Wadkins and Larry Nelson
Saturday Fourballs
9. How many majors did Jack Nicklaus win before playing in his first Ryder Cup?
a.) Three
b.) Five
c.) Seven
10. Who has been Ryder Cup captain the most times?
a.) Walter Hagen
b.) Tony Jacklin
c.) Davis Love III
11. Who is the youngest player in Ryder Cup history?
a.) Young Tom Morris
b.) Sergio García
c.) Jordan Spieth
12. In the last 50 years, who is the only two-time major champion who has never played in the Ryder Cup when eligible?
a.) John Daly
b.) Lee Janzen
c.) Julius Boros
Saturday Foursomes
13. Who was the last player-captain in the Ryder Cup?
a.) Keegan Bradley
b.) Tiger Woods
c.) Arnold Palmer
14. In 1951, the Ryder Cup wasn't played on consecutive days at Pinehurst. Why wasn't it played on Saturday?
a.) Overnight storms brought down all the corporate hospitality tents.
b.) Hurricane warning.
c.) Both teams attended a college football game.
15. Which American was booed for not wearing a hat until he made a 45-foot putt to win his fourball match?
a.) Scott Hoch
b.) Patrick Cantlay
c.) Phil Mickelson
16. Which player birdied his last five holes in Saturday's final fourball match for a 1-up victory?
a.) Ian Poulter
b.) Seve Ballesteros
c.) Peter Baker
Sunday Singles
17. Who has played in at least five Ryder Cups without ever losing a singles match?
a.) Fred Couples
b.) Colin Montgomerie
c.) Dustin Johnson
18. Where was the first Ryder Cup played?
a.) Valhalla Golf Club
b.) Worcester Country Club
c.) Wentworth Golf Club
19. Which European player had a streak of 12 consecutive Ryder Cup matches without losing?
a.) Lee Westwood
b.) Ian Poulter
c.) Howard Clark
20. Who was the first American to go 0-4 as a captain's pick in the Ryder Cup?
a.) Tiger Woods
b.) Steve Stricker
c.) Curtis Strange
21. Who is the most recent American to win all five of his Ryder Cup matches against Europe?
a.) Larry Nelson
b.) Mark O'Meara
c.) Dustin Johnson
22. Who once won 4-0 against Seve Ballesteros in a Ryder Cup held in Europe?
a.) Raymond Floyd
b.) Larry Nelson
c.) Paul Azinger
23. Which player has contributed the most points in Ryder Cup history?
a.) Billy Casper
b.) Phil Mickelson
c.) Sergio García
24. Who is the only American to have been on both the losing and winning sides of the decisive match against Europe?
a.) Justin Leonard
b.) Hunter Mahan
c.) Jim Furyk
25. Who is the only major champion Tiger Woods has faced in a Ryder Cup singles match?
a.) Darren Clarke
b.) Henrik Stenson
c.) Francesco Molinari
26. What is considered the greatest act of sportsmanship in the Ryder Cup?
a.) Jack Nicklaus conceding a short par putt to Tony Jacklin in 1969 to end the Ryder Cup in a tie.
b.) Europe agreeing to give the US team a 50% discount on rain gear in Wales.
c.) Hal Sutton sending Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson out as a couple in Oakland Hills — twice.
27. Who is the only player to have played all five of his Ryder Cup matches over 18 holes?
a.) Curtis Strange
b.) Collin Morikawa
c.) Neil Coles
28. Which major champion has played in the most Ryder Cups without ever winning a singles match?
a.) Jordan Spieth
b.) Ian Woosnam
c.) Bubba Watson
ANSWERS (Don't look!)
1. a 2. b 3. b 4. c 5. c 6. b 7. b 8. c 9. c 10. a 11. b 12. a 13. c 14. c 15. b 16. a 17. b 18. b 19. a 20. b 21. c 22. b 23. c 24. c 25. c 26th to 27th to 28th
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