Golf
Ryder Cup 2025 Scoring System Explained
A simple guide to how the scoring works at the Ryder Cup, ahead of this year’s event.
The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match awarding a single point to the winner. The first team to reach 14.5 out of a total of 28 points wins the Cup.
If the event ends in a 14-14 tie, the defending champion retains the trophy. Europe are the current Ryder Cup holders, having won the most recent tournament in Rome in October 2023, yet Team USA head the golf betting odds for this year’s competition.
Ryder Cup Formats
The competition takes place over three days and features three types of golf matches:
- Foursomes (Alternate shot): A two-player team plays a single ball, with partners alternating shots. The team with the low score on a hole wins that hole.
- Four-ball (Best ball): In this team match, all four players play their own ball. For each hole, the team with the best score wins.
- Singles: One player from each team competes head-to-head. The player with the lowest score on each hole wins that hole.
Ryder Cup Scoring
Match play is scored differently from the stroke play used in most conventional golf tournaments. The goal is to win individual holes rather than post the lowest cumulative score.
- Winning a hole: A player or team wins a hole by scoring fewer strokes than their opponent.
- Halving a hole: If both players or teams finish a hole with the same score, the hole is “halved,” and the match score remains unchanged.
- Winning the match: A match is won when a player or team has a lead greater than the number of holes remaining. For example, if a team is 3-up with two holes left to play, they win the match 3&2 because their opponent cannot possibly tie or win.
- Halving the match: If a match is tied after all 18 holes are completed, it ends in a draw, with each team earning a half-point.
Ryder Cup Points Distribution
There are 28 total points available throughout the tournament:
- Day 1 (Friday): 8 points—four foursomes matches and four four-ball matches.
- Day 2 (Saturday): 8 points—another four foursomes and four four-ball matches.
- Day 3 (Sunday): 12 points—all 12 players from each team compete in singles matches.
Ryder Cup Points Betting:
Punters can bet on the final score at the 2025 Ryder Cup at William Hill and here is the current state of the market:
- USA 20.5 – 7.5 (125/1)
- USA 20 – 8 (66/1)
- USA 19.5 – 8.5 (40/1)
- USA 19 – 9 (30/1)
- USA 18.5 – 9.5 (28/1)
- USA 18 – 10 (22/1)
- USA 17.5 – 10.5 (20/1)
- USA 17 – 11 (14/1)
- USA 16.5 – 11.5 (12/1)
- USA 16 – 12 (11/1)
- USA 15.5 – 12.5 (11/1)
- USA 15 – 13 (10/1)
- USA 14.5 – 13.5 (10/1)
- USA 21 – 7 Or Better (50/1)
- Tie 14 – 14 (12/1)
- Europe 20.5 – 7.5 (350/1)
- Europe 20 – 8 (150/1)
- Europe 19.5 – 8.5 (100/1)
- Europe 19 – 9 (60/1)
- Europe 18.5 – 9.5 (40/1)
- Europe 18 – 10 (28/1)
- Europe 17.5 – 10.5 (22/1)
- Europe 17 – 11 (18/1)
- Europe 16.5 – 11.5 (14/1)
- Europe 16 – 12 (12/1)
- Europe 15.5 – 12.5 (12/1)
- Europe 15 – 13 (12/1)
- Europe 14.5 – 13.5 (11/1)
- Europe 21 – 7 Or Better (100/1)
Ryder Cup 2025 News & Tips:
- Everything you need to know ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup
- Past Ryder Cup winners
- Team USA favourites after Captain Picks
- Team Europe popular in Ryder Cup betting
- Greatest Ryder Cup moments
- Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley on the 2025 Ryder Cup
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
