America versus Europe. Two teams of 12 players. Four days of competition from Thursday, September 28 to Sunday, October 1. Up for grabs is a silver cup that will be worth a few thousand euros, but whose sporting value makes it the third most-watched sports competition in the world after the Olympics and the World Cup.
It is the Ryder Cup, a golf challenge between a team of players from the United States and one from Europe that is held every other year, alternating between the United States or a country in Europe. Its 44th edition is played in Rome, Italy, on the Marco Simone course that has been completely redone with work that has lasted nearly three years.
The winning team takes home the cup that was donated by golf-loving British businessman Samuel Ryder. There is no prize money for the players and captains of the two teams. Just the satisfaction of beating opponents from another continent. Although winning the Ryder Cup does bring fame, honor and, most importantly, rich new sponsors and advertising contracts to all involved.
The two teams will compete over four days on the 18 holes at Marco Simone with three types of competitions. The Foursome i.e. two Europeans against two Americans and one ball per team played alternately. The Fourball, again two Europeans against two Americans where everyone plays his or her own ball and the hole is won by whoever has played the fewest strokes. And match play, one-on-one, hole after hole to whoever finishes with fewer strokes. To win these challenges you not only have to be good at the game, you have to have nerves of steel, lucidity and patience to wait for the moment to go on the attack.
The Ryder Cup attracts millions of people because it is broadcast live on five continents and thousands of fans flock to the field, so much so that tickets for this 44th edition have been sold out for a year already, just as Rome has seen an increase in the flow of tourists.
In the history of the Ryder Cup (at first it was a challenge between Americans and British, then transformed into a competition between Americans and Anglo-Irish, ending in its current America versus Europe formula), the United States holds the most victories, 27, which is almost double the number of European victories, at 14.
The two teams are composed of professional players, and the average age in both teams is 30. Both teams include 4 rookies, or players who have already participated in other editions of the Ryder. In the European one there are English, Irish, Spanish, Swedish and Austrian, and no Italian professional has managed to earn a place on the team (two Italians are vice-captains). The two team leaders–American Zach Johnson and European Luke Donald–have chosen the 12 players following the same criteria: six are at the top of the scoring in a predefined series of golf tournaments, six others are chosen by Johnson and Donald’s unquestionable judgment.
Who will win? The bookmakers give America the win albeit by a small margin. Europe has on its side the homefield advantage, where it has consistently won the Ryder Cup since 1997.
However it turns out, it will be four days of great golf.
