Here's a rundown of how the match formats have changed over the years.
1927
The very first Ryder Cup competition featured foursomes (two players per side, playing alternate shot) and singles matches. All matches were 36 holes in length. Four foursomes matches were played on the first day, followed by eight singles matches on the second day.
This format, with 12 points at stake, remained in place until the 1961 competition.
1961
The Ryder Cup competition was expanded from 12 points to 24 points at stake by cutting the matches from 36 holes in duration to 18. Foursomes and singles were still the formats used, and the competition remained two days in length.
But now, there are two rounds of foursomes on the first day, four matches each in the morning and afternoon. On the second day, 16 singles matches were played, eight in the morning and eight more in the afternoon (players were eligible to play in both the morning and afternoon singles matches).
The addition of 12 extra points was proposed by Lord Brabazon, president of the Professional Golfers Association of Great Britain. The process of approving the proposal would result in another change to the Ryder Cup, this one in ...
1963
Lord Brabazon's proposal in 1960 to increase the points at stake from 12 to 24 resulted in the formation of a players committee to study the issue. They approved, and the 1961 matches were doubled in points at stake, but kept the same type of matches (foursomes and singles) and remained two days in duration.
The players committee, however, also proposed adding a new format to the Ryder Cup: fourballs. Fourballs involve two players per side playing best ball (the best score of the two counts as the team score).
Fourballs were first played at the 1963 Ryder Cup, and the '63 Cup was the first one played over three days. Day 1 consisted of eight foursomes matches (four in the morning, four in the afternoon), Day 2 of eight fourballs (four in the morning, four in the afternoon) and Day 3 of 16 singles matches (eight in the morning, eight in the afternoon). Players could play in both the morning and afternoon singles if their captains so desired.
Points at stake increased to 32.
1973
For the first time, foursomes and fourballs were intermingled. Previously, all foursomes were played on one day, and all fourballs the next. In 1973, four foursomes and four fourballs matches were played each of the first two days.
1977
At the urging of the British team, the Ryder Cup competition was reduced in size in 1977. There were now 20 points at stake, rather than 32.
This was the result of playing only four foursomes and four fourballs total, rather than four each per day over the first two days. Day 1 featured the foursomes matches, Day 2 the fourballs and Day 3 the singles.
Singles matches were also reduced. Previously, there had been 16 singles matches, eight played in the morning, eight in the afternoon, with a player being eligible to play in both morning and afternoon singles.
The new format called for 10 singles matches total, played consecutively so that a player could play only one singles match.
1979
The competition format changed again this year. The second round of foursomes and fourballs was added back to the Ryder Cup (so eight foursomes and eight fourballs were played, total, divided over two days).
The points at stake rose from 20 to 28. Singles matches went back to a morning/afternoon format, but players were limited to playing just one singles match. A total of 12 singles matches were played.
1981
The point total remained the same (28), with just a slight change to singles. Rather than a morning/afternoon format, all singles matches were played consecutively.
And that is the format still in use today: A 3-day event with four foursomes and four fourballs on both Days 1 and 2, and 12 singles matches on Day 3.
