As the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club approaches, we take a look at how many players are on each Ryder Cup team and what the qualification process looks like for both the European team and United States team.
How Many Players In A Ryder Cup Team?
How Many Players In A Ryder Cup Team?
The Ryder Cup has a total of 24 golfers playing, with 12 players playing in Team Europe and 12 players in Team USA. Each team also has a captain and a number of vice-captains.
The professional golfers that make each team do so by either gaining an automatic qualification or by earning a spot via a captain’s pick.
Not all players in the 12-man team will play every match, with some just playing a couple over the five sessions.
During the four-ball and foursome matches, eight players from each team will play per session. All 12 players, however, will play in the final day singles matches.
How Do Players Qualify For The Ryder Cup?
To qualify for the Ryder Cup team, players need to be playing well on a consistent basis across PGA Tour and the DP World Tour events.
When it comes to the qualification process, both the European team and the United States team have different criteria for getting a place, depending on their organisation’s responsible.
Here’s a look at how players qualify for each team:
Team Europe Qualification
The qualifying period for Team Europe begins at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in September and ends three weeks before the Ryder Cup starts.
New for the 2023 Ryder Cup, Luke Donald, the captain of Team Europe will get six captain’s picks instead of the previous three.
The other players are six automatic qualifiers from two separate points lists. The top three from the European Points List and a further three from the World Points List who weren’t already qualified.
Team USA Qualification
The qualification period for Team USA is much longer, beginning at the start of the previous year (only a few months after the previous Ryder Cup) and concluding after the second FedEx Cup Playoff event, the BMW Championship.
Following the conclusion of the event, the top six eligible players on the points list will get themselves a place in the USA Ryder Cup team.
The final six places in the squad will be captain’s picks, just like the European team, giving the chance to other players that might have good Ryder Cup experience but didn’t play well enough for automatic qualification.
Final Thoughts
Gaining a spot in either the USA or European Ryder Cup team is far from easy. With just 12 spots available on each team, only the top players in the world will manage to get a place.
For the top six players on the points list, their place is secure. However, those not on the list will have to rely on the Ryder Cup captains giving them a pick based on their previous experience and current form.
Zach Johnson and his squad of 12 Americans will hope they’re on the winning team come Sunday afternoon, earning their first Ryder Cup victory on European soil since the 1993 match at The Belfry.
FAQs
How many players play Ryder Cup?
There are 12 players in each Ryder Cup squad, but not all players will play in all of the Ryder Cup matches. Ryder Cyp players will earn a spot either automatically or by a captain’s pick.
How are Ryder Cup players determined?
Ryder Cup players are determined using a points list, where the top six players will gain automatic qualification for the team. The remaining six places will be chosen by the team’s captain.
Founder, Editor
Ed is the founder and editor at EEE Golf. He’s been playing golf for over 20 years, competing in many top amateur events. He’s played courses all over the world and played with some of the best players in the game. His aim is to help educate people about the game of golf and give insights into the sport he loves most.
