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via Reuters

via Reuters

The Ryder Cup is one of the most glorious events in golf that fans and golfers look forward to every two years. It is a biennial event that takes place once every two years. This one-of-a-kind event is played between 24 golfers, 12 from the USA and 12 from Europe, divided into two teams. The players go against each other in the most distinctive and thoughtful format.

But its format is not what sets the Ryder Cup apart from other events and tournaments. This truly one-of-a-kind event has many other aspects that make it extraordinary and one of the best golf events.

Reasons why the Ryder Cup is truly an extraordinary event 

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  • The Ryder Cup is about the players, not the course

The 3-day tournament is not about the course on which it is played. It is about the players going against each other for the highly coveted title. The four types of matches—foursomes, singles, and fourball—are played between the players. The team that accumulates 14.5 points first ultimately wins.

The tournament is a matchplay format event that players usually don’t get to indulge in anymore with the 4-day PGA Tour format. The team spirit, sportsmanship, gamesmanship, and whole vibe are just different and really player-centric.

  • Cheering for bad shots and missed putts

When a golfer misses a putt or makes a bad shot, there is no one cheering for the bad shot in the crowd in regular tournaments. But this is not the case at the Ryder Cup. This could be a really hitting moment for any golfer playing in a Ryder Cup unless he hears someone cheering from the background for their bad shot.

  • Absurdly dressed fans 

Fans not only boo the opposite team’s player but also make the most of the three fun-packed days on the course. But they also find ways to dress in the most absurd clothes imaginable to enjoy the cheerful days on the course.

 

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  • Awkward on-the-course celebrations

Winning one of the 28 matches in the Ryder Cup can be a game-altering moment. Winning any of the matches does indeed call for celebration. Usually, the golfers high-five each other, but more awkward exchanges include sudden and unexpected buttslaps.

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It is not only the buttslaps that make this part of the celebration awkwardly fun. But missed high-fives are on the list too. Seeing millionaire golfers engage in impromptu celebrations on the greens is a hard-to-miss delight for fans.

Not only golfers, but caddies also make a heck of a lot of celebratory moments on the course. One of the most notorious caddie celebrations was Keegan Bradley’s bagman whipping the flagstick around his head as the Chicago crowd at Medinah lost it in 2012.

  •  Par and World rankings don’t matter at Ryder Cup grounds

Even the most accomplished golfers on the ground during the Ryder Cup can be subpar performers, for instance, Tiger Woods. One of the golfers’ best scores during the tournament was 13-17-3. The golfer’s ranking and all other accolades do not matter as such in the match-play format because he has to rely on his partner to win the match.

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  • It is a biennial event 

All four major tournaments and all other golf events take place annually, so fans and golfers do not have to wait as long. But the Ryder Cup is different. It is an event that takes place once every two years, altering the destination between the home grounds of two competing teams. One year the Cup is organized in the USA, and then in the next turn, Europe organizes it.

  • Strategy plays a crucial role 

Strategy plays a crucial role in every golf tournament, but the impact a proper strategy can have on the Ryder Cup cannot be overstated. It is the captain’s choice to decide which players will compete in every match. The team’s captain has to decide which golfer will find the best-suited chemistry with their partner for the match and bring home the point.

It is not only the team’s skipper who makes strategies; the golfers also curate some to help them concentrate better on the course. Golfers strategize about golf courses, holes, and their ways to play any particular shot that will complement their partner’s style.

  • The stakes are high 

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The pressure on the 12-man team, who are representing their country in front of two entire nationals, is extremely staggering. The Ryder Cup is a very high-stakes tournament where all the players just want one thing: to bring home national glory. Players such as Nick Faldo and Tom Watson have confirmed that the only time they had stomach-churning pressure on the course was during all 18 holes of the Ryder Cup.

via Reuters

The reason for facing such immense pressure could be the fact that the golfer’s performance impacts not only them but also 11 other players on the team. Not only teammates but the hopes of an entire nation get crushed with just one bad putt, so the pressure indeed has to be high.

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Do you agree that the Ryder Cup is hands down the most beloved and extraordinary golf tournament? Tune in to find out how things unravel at the 2023 Ryder Cup and which tea finally wins!

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