What Makes The Ryder Cup Golf's Best Event
By: Fin Tait | Edited: Fri 19 Sep 2025
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Every two years one of the greatest sporting events rolls round, and it never disappoints. The Ryder Cup is a world-renowned spectacle, with its intense rivalry, incredible storylines and bags of history. The Ryder Cup is so much more than just another golf tournament, the buildup feels larger than any of the four major championships and the players' mindset is no different. This one weekend is the crown jewel on every golfers' calendar, here’s why.
The Format
Almost every weekend on the professional tours, golf is a solo game. Players have to win for themselves; there is simply no hiding on the PGA Tour. However, the Ryder Cup is one of the few events in golf where players come together and form a team. Bringing in a team dynamic brings something entirely different to golf, and it is something so special. Watching the two teams form and battle it out against each other in three different formats is something truly unique.
As well as the team dynamic, the Ryder Cup is entirely matchplay. This is a type of scoring that is so rarely seen in professional golf. Matchplay is such a unique and competitive scoring format that really makes the Ryder Cup work. The amount of Ryder Cup matches that have been won, lost and tied on the 18th green is what makes this event such a nail-biting spectacle.
The Passion & Rivalry
This is where my love for the Ryder Cup really stems from. I can't remember a Ryder Cup that hasn't featured tempers running high and boiling over - we all certainly remember Rory McIlroy two years ago in Rome! There is nothing like the Ryder Cup, and this is for the players as well as the fans. I would bet on the fact that every eligible golfer has the Ryder Cup in their mind as every other season begins to wind down. The players want to be there, just look at Matt Wallace’s reaction when he realised that he would be unlikely to make Team Europe this year.
Europe vs USA is one of sport's biggest rivalries, it's up there with the Ashes, the Old Firm, the list goes on. It's a well-known saying that sport is nothing without the fans, and this is so true for the Ryder Cup. Both sets of fans will do everything they can to get their players an advantage. Just the thought of playing in a Ryder Cup match, in front of such a hostile environment so rarely seen in golf, makes me shudder.
Unpredictability & Incredible Storylines
To say the Ryder Cup is unpredictable would be an understatement. It truly is never over until it's over. I don’t think you could talk about the Ryder Cup without mentioning the Miracle of Medinah. It was over, Team Europe had been written off and the comeback looked so incredibly unlikely. Going into Sunday singles, Europe trailed 10-6, they needed a miracle - and they got it. Europe won eight and a half out of 12 singles matches, securing victory.
Just two years ago in Rome we saw odds being beaten. After many established names made a move to LIV Golf, captain Luke Donald was faced with the tricky task of selecting the European team. It was a rag-tag team to say the least, with multiple players making their debut Ryder Cup appearances. Then looking across the pond, the US team was stacked with great players. The Europeans headed to Rome being the underdogs, but this did not stop them at all. They made a quick start and got an early lead. Team USA tried to rally a comeback through some Patrick Cantlay controversy, but ultimately, it came to nothing, and Europe were winners once again. You could write a 500-page book about a singular Ryder Cup, and you still wouldn't fit all the details in!
The Golf Itself
Feels like we’ve got this far without even mentioning the golf itself. This is without a doubt the highest standard of golf in the world. 12 of the very best from the two best golfing continents in the world, battling it out all in one weekend. Major winners team up and face off against other major winners, what more could you want. You can watch the tele on any given weekend and watch top level golf, but if you want to watch it under a microscope, you have got to watch the Ryder Cup. This is where the best of the best separate themselves from the greats and the gods.
The Ryder Cup is so much more than just golf, it's theatre, it's emotion, it's raw. It brings in world class golfers and human emotion as they battle it out for national pride and for bragging rights over the next two years. High-stakes drama, unforgettable action and roaring crowds, I challenge you to tell me how the Ryder Cup isn’t the best event in golf!
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About the author
Fin Tait is a sports journalism graduate and emerging golf writer for Golfshake. Originally from Sheffield, he brings a fresh perspective shaped by a passion for both playing and following the professional game. Fin enjoys early morning rounds and is focused on improving his own performance, working towards consistent scoring milestones. His writing blends personal experience with a growing knowledge of courses, travel, and the evolving landscape of modern golf.
The Ryder Cup is unlike any other tournament in golf and the atmosphere is something that every golf fan should experience. The experts at Golfbreaks.com can help with all aspects of your Ryder Cup experience, from accommodation and ticket packages to hospitality and travel and playing some of the fantastic nearby courses.
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