A Brief, Brilliant History of the Ryder Cup — Told in 10 Unforgettable Moments
Reading time: 5 minutes
The Ryder Cup is golf’s most emotionally charged event. It turns individual competitors into teammates, stoic professionals into sobbing heroes, and polite gallery crowds into something resembling a football stadium. With the 2027 edition heading to Adare Manor in Ireland for the competition’s centenary, there’s never been a better time to revisit the moments that made this event legendary.
Here are ten that define the Ryder Cup — the drama, the heart, and the sheer unpredictability.
1. The Birth: Worcester, Massachusetts, 1927
It all started with a seed merchant. Samuel Ryder, an English businessman who made his fortune selling penny seed packets, became obsessed with golf in his fifties. After watching an informal match between American and British professionals, he donated a gold trophy worth about £250 at the time and proposed a biennial competition. The Americans won the inaugural event 9½ to 2½ at Worcester Country Club, and a tradition was born.
2. The Concession: Royal Birkdale, 1969
The final singles match of the 1969 Ryder Cup came down to Jack Nicklaus versus Tony Jacklin. Nicklaus holed a tricky putt on the last green, then picked up Jacklin’s ball marker and conceded his short putt — a gesture that tied the match and allowed the U.S. to retain the Cup. The “Concession” remains the most celebrated act of sportsmanship in golf history. Nicklaus later said he didn’t think Jacklin would have missed, but he didn’t want the match to be decided that way.
3. Europe Arrives: The Belfry, 1985
For decades, the Ryder Cup was essentially a friendly exhibition — the Americans dominated so completely that the competition lacked tension. That changed in 1979 when European players were added to the British and Irish team, and it changed permanently in 1985 when Europe won for the first time in 28 years. Sam Torrance holed the winning putt at The Belfry, arms raised in triumph, in an image that still defines European Ryder Cup pride.
4. The War by the Shore: Kiawah Island, 1991
The first Ryder Cup after the fall of the Berlin Wall was branded — somewhat controversially — as “The War by the Shore.” The tension was genuine. It came down to the final putt of the final match: Bernhard Langer of Germany faced a six-foot putt to tie the Cup. He missed. The Americans won 14½ to 13½, and Langer’s anguished reaction became one of golf’s most iconic images.
5. Brookline: 1999
Trailing 10-6 going into Sunday singles, the U.S. mounted the biggest final-day comeback in Ryder Cup history. The atmosphere at The Country Club was electric — and, at times, ugly. When Justin Leonard holed a 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th to effectively seal the American victory, teammates and fans stormed the green before José María Olazábal had a chance to putt. The celebrations were premature and widely criticized, but the comeback itself was extraordinary.
6. Darren Clarke’s Heartbreak and Heroism: The K Club, 2006
The only previous Ryder Cup held in Ireland saw one of the most emotional performances in the event’s history. Darren Clarke’s wife, Heather, had passed away from breast cancer just six weeks before the competition. Clarke was given a captain’s pick by Ian Woosnam and responded with three wins from three matches, playing with a raw intensity that moved everyone who watched. Europe won in a landslide, 18½ to 9½, but it was Clarke’s courage that defined the week.
7. The Miracle at Medinah: 2012
Europe trailed 10-6 going into Sunday singles at Medinah Country Club near Chicago — the same deficit the Americans had overcome at Brookline. What followed was the greatest final-day comeback in European Ryder Cup history. Martin Kaymer holed the decisive putt, and Ian Poulter’s Saturday performance — five consecutive birdies to close out his fourball match — had set the stage. The U.S. had been in complete control. By Sunday evening, they were stunned.
8. Rory’s Red Eyes: Hazeltine, 2016
Rory McIlroy arrived at Hazeltine National to a hostile American crowd and responded in the most Rory way possible — by feeding off the energy. His singles match against Patrick Reed became an instant classic, with both players trading birdies, fist pumps, and staredowns in front of a raucous gallery. Reed won the match, but the duel elevated both players and gave the Ryder Cup one of its most memorable head-to-head battles.
9. Rahm’s Rome Romp: Marco Simone, 2023
Europe’s victory at Marco Simone Golf Club near Rome was emphatic — 16½ to 11½ — but it was Jon Rahm’s performance that stole the show. The Spaniard went 4-0-1, combining power, passion, and an intensity that electrified the home crowd. His partnership with Tyrrell Hatton in the fourballs was a masterclass, and his Sunday singles performance was a clinic. It was a reminder that the Ryder Cup can turn already great players into legends.
10. Lowry’s Putt at Bethpage: 2025
The most recent Ryder Cup delivered perhaps its most dramatic finish. Europe built a record seven-point lead going into Sunday singles at Bethpage Black, only for the U.S. to mount a furious comeback that very nearly produced the greatest turnaround in Ryder Cup history. With the outcome hanging in the balance, Shane Lowry — who had endured relentless abuse from the New York crowd all week — holed a six-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to earn the half-point Europe needed. Tyrrell Hatton’s halve with Collin Morikawa then clinched the outright victory at 15-13. Lowry’s tears, his teammates rushing the green, and the vindication of winning on hostile soil made it an instant classic.
What’s Next: Adare Manor, 2027
The Ryder Cup’s centenary returns to Ireland, where all of this passion, history, and drama will play out against the backdrop of a stunning five-star estate in County Limerick. Luke Donald will captain Europe for a third consecutive time — chasing a record that no captain, American or European, has ever achieved. The U.S. captaincy is still open, adding an unusual layer of uncertainty.
One hundred years of the Ryder Cup. And if history is any guide, the best moments are still ahead.
The Royal Links is curating exclusive golf trip packages around the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor. Register your interest at theroyallinks.com.