Shane Ryan - The Cup They Couldnt Lose

The Ryder Cup is a three-day competition pitting the best golfers from the United States against the best from Europe. It has been staged every two years since 1927, with a lapse from 1937 to 1947 for World War II. It was delayed by a year in 2001 after the September 11 attacks, putting the Cup on even years, and is now back in odd years after another one-year delay in 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each team fields twelve players, a mixture of automatic qualifiers and captains picks, the balance of which has changed over time. The event uses the match play format, in which the score is kept by holes won and usually listed in reference to the winning team. As an example, if the American team wins holes one through three, they are 3-up, and if Europe wins the fourth hole, the US falls to 2-up. The match ends when one team has established a lead that is greater than the number of remaining holes. Thus, if a team wins by the score of 3&2, it means they were 3-up with two holes to play; it was no longer possible for the other team to beat or tie them.

On Friday, the first day of competition, there are four two-on-two matches of four-ball (each player plays his own ball, and the best score wins the hole for his team) and four two-on-two matches of foursomes (teammates alternate shots). Each match is worth 1 point. If a match is tied after eighteen holes, the match is halved, and each team receives half a point. The home captain has the right to choose which session is played in the morning and which is played in the afternoon, and its also up to each captain to choose which eight players compete in each session, and which four sit out. This format repeats on Saturday, and on Sunday, all twelve players from each team square off in a singles match. In total, 28 points are at stake16 from pairs matches, 12 from singles. The team that holds the Cup needs to win half of these points, 14, to retain the trophy, while the team trying to take the Cup back must win 14.5 points.

The Ryder Cup venue rotates every two years between the United States and Europe. It is organized in the United States by the PGA of America, which is distinct from the PGA Tour, and in Europe by the European Tour. The 2021 Ryder Cup took place in late September at Whistling Straits Golf Course on the western shore of Lake Michigan, a few miles north of Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

After a blowout win in Paris in 2018, the Cup was in European hands. The Americans had to win it back.

Youve probably heard this in press conferences, where losing captains and players will say, Well, the other guys just played better. Can you imagine if someone said that in the defense world? The general has to go and explain why he lost the war, and he says, Well, the other guys just fought better. Or in the business world, the CEO has to explain why he lost a million dollars and he says, Oh, the other guy just sold more widgets. I got tired of hearing it. Yes, theres variance in results. Yes, theres unpredictability. But the Ryder Cup fundamentally is an organizational and a management challenge. Its a collective action problem. How do you channel the talents and abilities of a large group of people into a common goal? The reality is that winning Ryder Cups is making lots and lots of right decisions enough times to increase your chances of winning.

Jason Aquino, founder of Scouts Consulting Group, Team USAs strategic analysts