The Greatest USA Ryder Cup Victories of All-Time
The 5 Greatest Ryder Cup Victories for the USA
The 2023 Ryder Cup is fast approaching as Marco Simone Golf and Country Club prepares to host the event for the very first time.
But what are the 5 greatest USA Ryder Cup victories of all-time? Read on to find out!
The 1991 USA Ryder Cup team - one of the greatest in history!
So much has happened in professional golf since the 2021 edition of the Ryder Cup.
However, the fallouts and controversies that have plagued the game of late will be put to one side, for a week at least, as the USA searches for back-to-back wins for the first time in 30 years.
Indeed, they haven’t won on European soil since their triumph at the Belfry in 1993.
We’ve already looked at the greatest European Ryder Cup victories of all-time - but what about the other side of the pond?
With Ryder Cup fever beginning to hit, The Sporting Blog is delving into the five greatest victories for team USA in history.
2021: Whistling Straits
USA 19 – 9 Europe
Steve Stricker was up against Padraig Harrington
The USA moved into an 11-5 lead - the largest lead after two days since 1975
What better place to start than the most recent edition of the tournament!
Pushed back a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Whistling Straits played host for the first time and the course, with its natural links feel, was a change from the usual inland courses which host the event in America.
Steve Stricker was the man tasked with winning back the trophy for team USA - and he was up against three-time major winner and all-round European legend, Padraig Harrington.
Winning majors is no prerequisite for success as a captain (see Nick Faldo) and Stricker used all of his nous to oversee a marvellous 6-2 advantage at the close of play on day one.
Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia gave the Europeans a glimmer of hope by securing the opening point of the Saturday foursome matches, yet three straight American wins moved them into a quite ridiculous 9-3 lead, which soon turned into 11-5 by the end of the second day.
It was the largest Ryder Cup lead after two days since 1975.
The singles was a glorious triumph as seven of the Americans won their matches. Scottie Scheffler took down the in-form Rahm while only Rory Mcilroy, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter secured a full point for Europe.
The 19-9 victory was the largest winning margin in the history of the competition and the USA will be eyeing a repeat in Rome.
2008: Valhalla Golf Club
USA 16.5 – 11.5 Europe
Before 2008, the USA hadn’t won a Ryder Cup since 1999
Paul Azinger led the team
This wasn’t exactly the greatest of USA teams, missing Tiger Woods through injury, yet they pulled off a victory when they needed it most.
The last time they won the competition was way back in 1999. Europe recovered well from the controversy at Brookline to claim three successive wins for the first time ever, but 2008 proved a step too far.
Paul Azinger was an inspired captain and his pod system – splitting his 12-man team into groups of four – proved to be highly successful as USA led 5.5 -2.5 after the opening day.
Europe threatened a fightback during the Saturday foursomes, taking 2.5 points from four after Justin Rose and Poulter eased to victory over Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell, while Henrik Stenson and Oliver Wilson edged Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim 2&1.
The afternoon session was halved and the USA held a 9-7 advantage heading into the singles.
Faldo made the mistake of stockpiling his big hitters towards the end of proceedings, risking the tie being over by the time they were coming down the stretch in their respective matches - and this is exactly what happened.
The tie was done and dusted by the time Graeme McDowell overcame Jim Furyk 2&1 and Azinger became the first American captain to win in the 21st century. It’s no wonder he’s considered one of the best USA Ryder Cup captains in history!
1993: The Belfry
USA 15 – 13 Europe
There was a lot of tension in the lead-up to the 1993 Ryder Cup
America secured wins in three of the opening five ties
The 1991 event at Kiawah Island two years prior had been given the moniker ‘the war on the shore’ due to the antics from both sides - and it certainly ramped up tensions between the two teams ahead of the 1993 edition on European soil.
A star-studded European team featuring Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer, combined with unheralded names such as Barry Lane and Costantino Rocca, aimed to reclaim the gold statue from the USA.
Following the first day of action, everything was going to plan for Bernard Gallacher and his side, leading 4.5 -3.5 - and that had stretched to a three-point advantage after the morning foursomes on Saturday.
Tom Watson and his band of challengers weren’t to be dismayed, however, and things began to turn in the afternoon. Three of the four matches went the way of the Americans and although Europe had a lead heading into the singles, it was only a single point.
Following the first five matches, there were plenty of blue points on the board, securing wins in three of the opening five ties. However, things soon descended into nightmare territory as the USA reeled off five straight points to grab the required 14 needed to retain the cup.
Faldo or Sam Torrance couldn’t prevent them from hitting the magical mark of 14.5 to win the Ryder Cup outright - and it was a competition for the ages.
1981: Walton Heath Golf Club
USA 18.5 – 9.5 Europe
Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson took part in the 1981 Ryder Cup
The 1981 USA team is considered the greatest ever
The 1981 USA Ryder Cup team is among one of the finest ever assembled. Out of the 12 players, 11 won majors during their careers, while nine of the side went on to become World Golf Hall of Fame members.
Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller and Tom Watson were the standout names, yet they got off to a rocky start.
Europe held a narrow one-point advantage after day one, and while the USA clicked into gear on Saturday morning, taking the session 3-1, it appeared as if Europe still had a solid chance of an unlikely victory.
It may have taken three sessions, but boy did the Americans finally hit their stride. The afternoon foursomes ended in a whitewash as they led 10.5-5.5 and Dave Marr’s side were certainly showing their class.
Not even a miracle could have saved the Europeans as they won just three points from 12 during the singles, with Nicklaus shining in his final-ever Ryder Cup, winning four from four while Trevino, Kite, Floyd and Crenshaw also secured excellent wins.
It is still the biggest-ever defeat from a European perspective on home soil. The 1981 USA team, statistically anyway, is the greatest there has ever been.
1947: Portland Golf Club
USA 11-1 Great Britain
Sam Snead, Byron Nelon and Lloyd Mangrum took part in the 1947 Ryder Cup
After 1947, America dominated the event for the next 40 years!
Following ten years without a competition due to World War II, the Ryder Cup finally returned to the golfing calendar in 1947.
There had been six editions of the event before the war cancelled proceedings, with the USA winning four and Great Britain claiming victory twice.
Despite winning the previous two events, no one would have foreseen that the USA were going to dominate the event for the next 40 years!
The GB team did feature recent Open champion Fred Daly, while also having Max Faulkner and five-time future captain Dai Rees in their midst, yet this wouldn’t be enough to dethrone the Americans.
Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and Lloyd Mangrum were amongst the USA contingent and they lit up Portland with their swashbuckling style, taking apart the inexperienced Europeans with ease during the Saturday foursomes, and winning all four matches.
Truth be told, there would be no coming back from that scoreline. America were sensational during the singles, winning the first seven matches to lead 11-0 and, although a whitewash was prevented by Sam King defeating Herman Keiser, this lopsided defeat affected the GB psyche for years to come.
They would subsequently win just one of the next 18 competitions as America took a stranglehold on the cup.
The USA will be hoping to replicate their wizardry from Whistling Straits two years ago, yet Luke Donald and his team will be up to the task as they look to extend their home streak, which has entered its 30th year.
