2014 Ryder Cup – 26 to 28 Sep at The Belfry, Scotland

If you are sport mad like us here at old.coolbaby.ie, you are no doubt looking forward to the Ryder Cup which tees off this Friday at the Belfry. In order to whet your appetite, here are 10 interesting facts about the history of the Ryder Cup.

1. The official Ryder Cup trophy was introduced in 1927, for the first ever Ryder Cup match with resulted in USA beating Great Britain 9 ½ – 2 ½.
2. In the unfortunate event of an injury to a player from either team, both captains keep the name of one team member in a sealed envelope. The chosen man will then withdraw from the singles if either of the teams is unable to find 12 players. Each team will then be awarded half a point each.
3. Between the years of 1935 and 1985, a 50 year period, The Europeans were only victorious once; this was in 1957 after a dramatic final hole. This impressive run did coincide with the Second World War, which led to the competition being abandoned for 10 years.
4. Sir Nick Faldo has won more Ryder Cup matches than any other golfer; his overall record stands at 23 victories.
5. Captain’s picks were introduced in 1979, and since then it’s been Europe who have benefitted the most, winning 52 percent of their matches involving captain picks.
6. The oldest player to feature in the Ryder Cup was Raymond Floyd at 51 years of age.
7. The youngest player to feature in the Ryder Cup was Sergio Garcia at 19 years of age.
8. Colin Montgomery has the record for highest overall points in singles history with six wins and two halves.
9. Justin Leonard’s famous 1999 putt to take a half against Jose Maria Olazabal was 45 yards long.
10. With 11 Ryder Cup competitions under his belt, Nick Faldo has appeared in more Ryder Cup competitions that any other golfer.