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"The milestone is approaching: 500 days to the Ryder Cup 2023. Ready to host the largest world golf event in Rome. A great success for Italian sport and for the country, thanks to teamwork between Federgolf, government, local institutions and the Biagiotti family ".
Giovanni Malagò, statements
This is the tweet of Giovanni Malagò, president of Coni, when there are 500 days left for the Ryder Cup 2023, scheduled from 29 September to 1 October next year on the course of the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.
Ryder Cup matches include various types of match play between players chosen from 2 teams each played over 18 holes. According to the formula now in force, the competition includes eight foursomes, eight fourballs and twelve individual matches.
The winner or the winning couple of each challenge gets one point for their team, in case of a tie both teams get half a point. A foursome match is a match between two pairs of golfers: the players of the same team, however, take turns hitting the ball.
Fourball is always a match between two pairs, but each player completes his hole independently, choosing the best result of the pair, and comparing it with that of the opponents. Finally, an individual challenge is a match between two golfers in which each player finishes his hole and compares his result with that of the opponent.
In all three cases, each hole is won by the team or individual with the fewest strokes, and whoever wins the most holes wins the match. The challenges take place over three days: from Friday to Sunday (except in 2010 when, due to bad weather, the tournament ended on Monday), for a total of 28 matches.
On Fridays, four fourballs are played in the morning and four foursomes in the afternoon (or vice versa). On Saturday, the game is played again according to the same pattern. On Sunday there are 12 individual matches: all twelve players of the two teams then take the field for the first time.
Not all players compete on Friday or Saturday, it is up to the captain to choose the 4 pairs to be deployed for each session. At the end of the three days, the team with the highest number of points is the winner. According to the regulations, the reigning champion team keeps the cup in the event of a tie (14 points), the challenging team must therefore score at least 14 and ½ to get the victory.
Over the years the formula has undergone various changes. From the first edition until that of 1959, the Ryder Cup took place in just two days: the first day there were four foursomes over a distance of 36 holes, while the second eight individual challenges, always over a distance of 36 holes.
In 1961 the distance of the challenges was reduced to 18 holes, however doubling the number. In 1963, the formula of three days of competition was switched, adding eight fourballs. This formula remained unchanged until 1977, when the number of challenges was reduced to 20; five foursomes on the first day, five fourballs on the second and ten individual matches on the third day.
In 1979, the first year in which continental European players also participated, the formula was again changed by adopting that of the 28 challenges in use today.
